Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Dec 21: The construction work on the 50-bedded Sub-District Hospital in Qoimoh area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam District is incomplete even after 16 years of approval causing inconvenience to people who are dependent on the facility for healthcare.
In 2003, the Government planned to increase the capacity of existing Primary Health Centre (PHC) and build a 50 bedded sub-district hospital at Qoimoh with an estimated cost of Rs 19.32 crores. The PHC besides being insufficient to cater to the rush of patients lacked space and was in dilapidated condition. Construction work started in 2008, but in 2016, it was suspended as funds fell short.
An official privy to the details said that the reason behind the overstretching of the project was meagre funding from the Government. To overcome the problem, he said, the Government put it under the ambitious Prime Minister’s Development Program Fund. “To tackle the funding problem the project was put under PMDP and additional staff was also sanctioned,” he said.
However, Government’s efforts were wasted by the Roads and Building Department which is executing the project as it failed to utilize the funds sanctioned last year. “The funds lapsed last year. Almost Rs 5 crore were not utilized. This year the construction work was suspended after 5th August,” Chief Medical Officer Kulgam, Dr Fazil Kochak told Excelsior.
The locals complained that the poor healthcare services are forcing them to travel long distances for healthcare needs. “Some people also visit local private clinics which are expensive and unregulated,” Bilal Ahmad, a local said, adding that people are bearing the brunt of official apathy.
The hospital administration is also facing problems in running the hospital. “The infrastructure of the hospital is poor and we are facing problems to provide healthcare. We have to operate from multiple shabby structures which hinder our work,” Kochak said.
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