Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Mar 1: Residents of Ashpora, Block Langate of Handwara in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, are in facing healthcare crisis due to the lack of adequate facilities at the New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC).
The residents said that the NTPHC, which was established several years ago, lacks the basic facilities necessary to provide adequate medical care. They said patients often have to wait for hours to get examined by a doctor, and many are forced to travel long distances to access more advanced medical services due to the lack of essential medical equipment, including X-ray machines and ultrasound scanners.
The absence of round-the-clock medical services at the centre is causing significant distress among the local community, who are now demanding immediate action from the authorities.
The residents demand urgent action to improve healthcare facilities in the area. The shortage of staff at the centre is also a major concern, as there are only two doctors and a few nurses available to meet the medical needs of the local population.
Ghulam Nabi, a resident of Ashpora, shared his experience of having to take his wife to a hospital in Srinagar, almost 70 kilometres away, for a simple ultrasound. “This inconvenience could have been avoided if the NTPHC had the necessary equipment and staff to provide adequate medical care,” he said.
The residents urged the authorities to increase funding for healthcare facilities in the area and recruit additional staff to provide round-the-clock services.
Gowher Ahmad, the Block Medical Officer (BMO) of Langate, acknowledged the issue and said that it has been taken up with higher authorities. “They are working to resolve the genuine demands of the people,” he said.
He added that the NTPHC has an ambulance, but the driver has retired, and there is no technician for X-ray. “The laboratory has been made operational, and an additional doctor has been assigned to the centre to provide round-the-clock services; other issues will be addressed soon,” he added.
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