List submitted to Div Com, Home Deptt for necessary action
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 13: A total of 33 health centres in border areas of five districts of Jammu region will get individual bunkers so as to provide hassle free treatment to the victims of firing and shelling from across the border. A process in this regard has been set into motion with the Health Department submitting list of such centres to the Home Department through the Divisional Commissioner Jammu in compliance to the instructions issued by the Governor N N Vohra recently.
It has been observed that several health centres situated near the International Border and Line of Control generally come under the range of firing and shelling from across the border by the Pakistani rangers and during hostile situation it becomes difficult to provide timely and hassle free treatment to the people in these health centres.
“Keeping in view vulnerability of these health centres to Pakistan firing even administration doesn’t prefer injured to be treated there during the hostile situation as such their shifting to the health institutions in urban areas particularly Government Medical College and Hospital is always accorded priority”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
In order to ensure that health centres in the border areas are able to provide immediate treatment even during firing and shelling from across the border, the necessity of construction of bunkers was felt during several official meetings, they said while disclosing that one such bunker was constructed at Sub-Centre Garkhal in Akhnoor area of Jammu district in the past on trial basis and this initiative turned out to be extremely fruitful.
In a recent high-level meeting, directions were issued for identification of all those health centres in five border districts of Jammu region which are required to be provided facility of individual bunker, sources said while disclosing that Director Health Services Jammu has completed the entire exercise and furnished necessary information to the higher authorities.
The list mentioning the names of 33 health centres has been submitted to the Principal Secretary to the Government, Health and Medical Education Department and Divisional Commissioner Jammu by the Director Health Services Jammu vide Communication No. DHSJ/ Plg/ 4254-55 dated July 10, 2018, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
Besides identifying 33 health centres for providing bunkers, the Director Health Services has also laid stress on immediate renovation of one existing bunker at Sub-Centre Garkhal, sources said.
These 33 health institutions are Primary Health Centre (PHC) Arnia, Sub-Centre Treva in Bishnah, PHC Kanachak and Sub-Centre Chargali in Marh, PHC Pargwal, New Type Primary Health Centre Gura Manhasan, Sub-Centre Samoa, Sub-Centre N S Pura and Sub-Centre Kalish in Palanwala, Sub-Centre Brga, Sub-Centre Gharana and Sub-Centre Jora Farms in R S Pura in Jammu district.
New Type Primary Health Centre Chakra, PHC Mareen and PHC Harla Chak in Kathua, Health Centres in Jhulas, Guntrian, Sawjian, Balakote and Mankote in Poonch, PHC Manjakote, Tallulian, PHC Sere, PHC Langer, PHC Kalsian, PHC Laroka, PHC Ser Makhri and PHC Androot in Rajouri and PHC Banglard, PHC Sanoora, CHC Ramgarh and PHC Nandpur in Samba district.
When contacted, Principal Secretary to Government, Health and Medical Education Department Dr Pawan Kotwal confirmed that Director Health Services has identified the health centres, which will be provided bunkers. “This step would go a long way in ensuring timely and hassle free treatment to the injured persons even during cross border firing”, he added.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma, when contacted, said, “the list prepared by the Health Department has been forwarded to the concerned quarter”, adding “expenditure on these bunkers would be met from the funds being made available for construction of Seema Bhawans”.
“The bunkers would be constructed either within the premises of health centres or in their immediate vicinity so as to ensure proper utilization of men and machinery available in these health institutions”, he said in response to a question.
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