Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 9: The residents of Chanapora in Srinagar today demanded upgradation of a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the area into a full-fledged hospital so that it can cater to the wider needs of the locals.
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The locals told Excelsior that for long now they have been demanding that the hospital should be upgraded but nothing has been done so far. They said that their demands have been given a deaf year over the years.
“It is a big building but so far, it is just a 50 bedded one even as more space is there; if the hospital is upgraded properly, it could cater to the patients from district Budgam as well,” said Javaid Ahmad Beig a resident
He said that the patients from Budgam could be easily brought in here and that would decrease the burden on the District Hospital, Budgam as well. “But the Government does not seem to be interested in that,” he said.
As of now, the hospital is being used for COVID-19 operations and is out of bounds for the non-COVID services.
“Let this pandemic end, then, we want this hospital to be upgraded so that our long-pending demand is met and the problems faced by the residents are eased,” Altaf Ahmad Shah, another resident said.
Notably, the PHC, when functioning under normal circumstances remains open from 10 am to 5 pm and after that, all the patients, in case of emergency have to go to other hospitals in Srinagar.
“Apart from up-gradation, we demand that the hospital should be made functional 24 hours a day for the effective services to the public; why do we have to go to SKIMS, SMHS and other hospitals when we have the basic infrastructure already in place,” the residents said.
When contacted, Dr Samir Mattoo told Excelsior that so far the COVID-19 services are on at the hospital and that the directorate is planning to upgrade the hospital once the COVID-19 is over. “We have a plan and it will be done soon,” he said.
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