Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 26: It has been nearly a decade since the foundation stone of the 50-bedded hospital was laid in Chanapora here. However, the residents are still waiting for it to be upgraded from a Primary Health Center (PHC) to a Sub-District Hospital (SDH) to cater to the healthcare needs of the community.
The locals expressed their frustration, stating that the Government has spent over Rs 22 crore on the building and despite that no steps are being taken to transform the PHC into an SDH for better healthcare delivery.
The hospital currently operates with restricted hours and inoperative Operation Theatres (OTs), while it remains far from being a fully functional healthcare facility, leaving the residents dismayed.
Presently, the hospital operates only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, which the locals argue is inadequate to meet the medical needs of the growing population in the area.
One resident, Zubair Ahmad, shared an incident when he had to rush one of his patients to Chanapora Hospital during an emergency, only to find it closed past 4 p.m. He expressed his disappointment, stating, “We have a sprawling hospital building available in the area, but it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get the necessary medical aid when we needed it.”
The residents feel that the hospital operates more like a Government office than a functional Medical Centre.
Another local, Shabir Ahmad, questioned why the hospital can’t be functional round the clock with sufficient manpower, considering the substantial funds invested by the Government.
The aggrieved residents highlighted that despite having the necessary machinery available at the hospital, there is an acute shortage of personnel to operate these machines.
Senior resident Javaid Ahmad Beigh said that the hospital has two modular Operation Theatres, oxygen plants, and a X-Ray machine, but they are not being utilized at all. “Despite everything, it is just a dispensary,” he said.
When the matter was brought to the notice of the authorities, the Director, Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather stated that they will explore internal arrangements to address the need for manpower.
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