Baramulla, June 2: The dispensary at Tangwari Bala here was constructed at a cost of Rs 33.31 lakhs six years ago. But it doesn’t function as the dispensary. The health centre has been abandoned as it has not been sanctioned by the Health Department. Since there is no official approval for this health centre, no posts have been created to man it.
According to sources, the building has been constructed by department of R&B Baramulla and funds for it were released from the district plan.
The work on the dispensary began following the visit to the place by a senior politician during which he promised a healthcare facility for the residents. While funds have been made available for the health centre the work on the sanctioned 300-bed district hospital Baramulla is progressing at a slow pace due to lack of adequate funds.
The number of similarly un-sanctioned health sub-centres in the district is around 70. They have been opened on the orders of some politicians without the necessary sanction from the Health Department. As a result, they lack staff, drugs and equipment to function as the health care facilities.
At Pazalpora Rafiabad, 15 kilometers from Baramulla town, a three-room sub-centre constructed a year before with Constituency Development Fund is not operational yet. It was inaugurated by a senior Congress leader. Instead, one more sub-centre has been constructed in the same village at the instance of another politician.
“It is ironical that in order to appease their voters and due to their mutual rivalry, the politicians order the construction of two health centres in the same village while the neighbouring villages suffer,” said a resident of Pazalpora Rafiabad. “We have a sub-centre here which has been inaugurated one year before but despite that a sub-centre is being run from a rented accommodation. What is more, one more sub-centre is being constructed in the same village.”
All such un-sanctioned sub-centers are being operated through internal adjustments of the employees of health department. The move, according to sources, is badly hampering the overall healthcare delivery in the district as the manpower and the medicines are being supplied to these centers from the sanctioned health centers.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 3 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST