Srinagar, July 28: The residents of Chanapora have appealed to authorities to make the Primary Health Centre (PHC), which has been temporarily designated as COVID-19 centre since last year, fully functional, saying they are suffering for want of basic healthcare facilities. They further demand that the PHC, which is a 60-bedded building constructed at the cost of over Rs 20 crore, be upgraded to a full-fledged district hospital.
The PHC, located at the Housing Colony Chanapora in Srinagar, was declared COVID-19 centre for district Budgam since the emergence of the pandemic in 2020. Since then, the building continues to be COVID care centre. Only a portion of the ground floor functions as OPD with a single doctor looking for patients.
The locals question the logic behind continuing the building as COVID-19 centre while the number of daily cases across Jammu and Kashmir has slowed down to around 100. Interestingly, the centre now only looks for pregnant COVID patients.
“As the cases have slowed down, we don’t receive many patients. This centre has now been specifically dedicated for pregnant COVID patients,” Dr Iqbal Fateh, Incharge Nodal Officer, of the centre told Greater Kashmir.
“We receive almost one or two (pregnant) patients daily,” Dr Iqbal said, adding that the PHC shall continue as COVID centre till the pandemic is over.
Criticising the authorities, the residents of the area said it had been their long-pending demand to have a hospital in the locality “which unfortunately isn’t being made functional”.
“We’re not against designating the building for COVID patients. However, this should not continue for so long. The centre received patients only for a couple of weeks during the peak of first and second wave. We ourselves see that the centre hardly receives any patients,” said a local living a few metres away from the PHC.
HazimNazir, a student, said “it is ironic that the PHC has been designated for patients from Budgam, Pulwama and other areas while we have to rush to SMHS and other hospitals for treatment”.
“It was after a long wait since 2012 that the building was completed but we still await to see it fully functional,” he said.
Director Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) spokesperson Dr Mir Mushtaq while talking to Greater Kashmir said, “Every human life is precious. We did this (designating PHC Chanapora as COVID centre) out of compulsion as the people of Budgam, Srinagar outskirts and some South Kashmir districts faced difficulties in admitting the patients at the hospitals in main Srinagar. The people of Chanapora and its adjacent areas can manage to visit SMHS and other hospitals for the time being. After all, it is a human concern.”
When asked how long shall the PHC continue as COVID centre as the number of patients admitted is too low, Dr Mushtaq said, “Even if just one or two patients are being admitted a day, they need proper care and other facilities as they are COVID positive. We have an oxygen plant and other infrastructure dedicated for COVID patients which we have entirely separated from the OPD section. The entrance gates are also unconnected with each other. The people need to exhibit patience. We hope the situation returns to normal soon so that the PHC is upgraded and made fully functional.”
“It was after a long wait since 2012 that the building was completed but we still await to see it fully functional,” he said.
Director Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) spokesperson Dr Mir Mushtaq while talking to Greater Kashmir said, “Every human life is precious. We did this (designating PHC Chanapora as COVID centre) out of compulsion as the people of Budgam, Srinagar outskirts and some South Kashmir districts faced difficulties in admitting the patients at the hospitals in main Srinagar. The people of Chanapora and its adjacent areas can manage to visit SMHS and other hospitals for the time being. After all, it is a human concern.”
When asked how long shall the PHC continue as COVID centre as the number of patients admitted is too low, Dr Mushtaq said, “Even if just one or two patients are being admitted a day, they need proper care and other facilities as they are COVID positive. We have an oxygen plant and other infrastructure dedicated for COVID patients which we have entirely separated from the OPD section. The entrance gates are also unconnected with each other. The people need to exhibit patience. We hope the situation returns to normal soon so that the PHC is upgraded and made fully functional.”