The Primary Health Centre (PHC) Gabra in Karnah area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district is without basic health facilities, leaving a huge chunk of population to suffer.
The Primary Health Centre (PHC) which caters to almost 15,000 people does not even have basic medical facilities, the residents complained.
They said that the health centre was inadequately staffed due to which patient care had been badly hit. The residents said that the health centre has four sanctioned posts of doctors but only two are deputed here.
Similarly, among the four posts of Nursing Orderlies, only one is posted here while the remaining have never turned up at the health centre, locals alleged.
Furthermore, not a single female nurse is deputed here telling upon the smooth functioning of the hospital.
Residents complained that in absence of X-ray and diagnostic testing facilities here, patients were forced to commute 10 kilometers to reach Sub District Hospital Tanghdar.
“Although the health facility boasted of diagnostic testing facilities few years back but since the lab technician was transferred from here his replacement was not sent. Now the machines has gone out of order,” a local said.
The residents alleged that the health centre earlier had an ambulance facility which would take patients to SDH Tanghdar but few years ago it was deprived of the facility.
“Due to non-availability of a gynecologist, pregnancy care has also been badly hit and women of the area face severe hardships,” another local said.
District Development Council member KarnahNajma Hamid told Greater Kashmir that she had several times brought these issues to the notice of the concerned officials but nothing concrete had been done in this regard.
Meanwhile, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) KarnahGulzar Ahmad Rather said that people suffered in absence of basic facilities.
Rather assured that he would take up the matter with the Health department.