*Loss of lives for want of healthcare nobody’s concern
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 21: Making mockery of the Government, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation has failed to meet the deadlines fixed by none else than the Chief Minister and Health Minister for completion of much needed Trauma Centre on most vulnerable Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway 1B. The prevailing situation clearly indicates that loss of precious lives in frequent tragic road accidents on this main artery of twin mountainous districts for want of proper healthcare is nobody’s concern.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in order to provide advanced life saving facilities to the people of Doda and Kishtwar districts and also to the victims of the road accidents, which take place very frequently on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway, the State Government in the year 2010 accorded sanction to the construction of Trauma Hospital at Khellani.
The construction of double storey Trauma Hospital at Khellani was started in the month of June 2010 at an estimated cost of Rs 3.99 crore and it was to be completed by December 2013. However, project executing agency—Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), failed to meet the deadline despite release of sufficient funds by the Health Department.
“Despite repeated concerns of the elected representatives from Doda district, the JKPCC continued to carry out the work at snail’s pace as a result of which the fate of much-needed Trauma Hospital is still hanging in balance despite lapse of over five years”, sources said.
When Minister for Health and Medical Education, Ch Lal Singh took review of the project after formation of PDP-BJP Coalition Government, the JKPCC authorities assured to gear up the construction work to meet the deadline of June 20, 2015 fixed by the Health Minister, sources revealed, adding even this deadline could not be met by the JKPCC authorities, who otherwise had committed before the Health Minister that they wouldn’t allow the work to get delayed any more.
On July 4, 2015 when the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, while chairing the District Development Board (DDB) meeting of Doda district, sought the status of the Trauma Centre at Khellani, the JKPCC authorities stated that the work has already been expedited and the Trauma Centre would be ready within shortest possible time, sources said, adding keeping in view the assurance given by the JKPCC authorities, it was officially recorded in the major decisions of the DDB that Trauma Centre at Khellani would be inaugurated within two months.
However, despite lapse of over three months, the work on Trauma Centre is still nowhere near completion stage, sources informed, adding even the JKPCC authorities don’t know when they would be able to complete the project, which was taken up in hand over five years back.
When contacted, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Doda, Dr Kulbhushan said, “I cannot comment on the time-frame about establishment of Trauma Centre at Khellani as JKPCC authorities have missed several deadlines till date”. He, however, admitted that Trauma Centre at Khellani is imperative to save the lives of people, who frequently fall victim to the accidents on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway 1B.
“The necessity of this Trauma Centre can be gauged from the fact that on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway, which is the main artery of twin mountainous and tough terrain districts, there is no fully equipped health centre to provide advanced life saving treatment facilities to the accident victims”, sources said, adding “though there is an accidental hospital at Thathri but the same doesn’t have the facilities, which it should have”.
Sources further said, “it is matter of serious concern that JKPCC is delaying the project on one pretext or the other and the Chief Minister should take stern action against those responsible for delay otherwise Government would be making mockery of its own tall claim about flagging health as priority sector”, adding “if such is the approach towards the priority centre what could be the fate of other sectors can easily be gauged”.
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