Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, June 29: Up in arms against absence of medical staff at Primary Health Centre Lander, people from Panchayat Lander, Latyar, Katti Danota, Sadota, Badhota, Galiote and adjoining areas today held a strong protest demonstration and blocked the Lander- Panchari-Galiote Road.
Shouting slogans, they staged a dharna on the road and disrupted vehicular movement for around 8 hours. They also torched an effigy of Health Department and alleged that PHC Lander was found closed when the locals rushed victims of 23 June fire incident at village Barinda in Panchayat Lander.
In the fire incident, nine persons of the family of Mansa Ram had sustained burn injuries when they were trying to douse the flames. “When the injured were shifted to PHC Lander, it was found closed and there was no staff and ambulance driver.
People managed a private vehicle and the injured were shifted to District Hospital Udhampur. Five of them were referred to GMC Hospital Jammu where one of them, namely Sunak, son of Kartar Chand succumbed to his injuries on June 27.
Locals demanded an inquiry into absence of the staff of PHC Lander, ambulance driver and transfer of BMO Panchari. They alleged that maximum staff of the PHC was illegally attached by concerned authority in Udhampur. They were also demanding fire brigade at Lander and Panchari.
Later, Narinder Kumar, Tehsildar Panchari; Anil Sloch, BMO Panchari, Vikas Dogra, SHO Panchari and other officers reached the spot and pacified the protestors by assuring necessary action over their demands following which the people lifted the road blockage.
Chief Medical Officer Udhampur, Dr K C Dogra said that this case inquiry is going on and culprit will be punished even as three staff members were detached today.
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