Remote Shandri Panchayat of Kuntwara area gets first Health Center

Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Nov 2: The people of the remotest Shandri Panchayat in the Kuntwara area of Kishtwar district have reason to rejoice as Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Dr. Devansh Yadav has issued a landmark order for the establishment of a health center at Bhatkoot, Shandri Panchayat.
Following a visit to the village on November 1st, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Devansh Yadav took immediate action to address the healthcare needs of this far-off habitation that also lacks road connectivity. This decision is set to bring about a transformative change in the lives of the people of the region.
The establishment of this health center will ensure essential medical services, including vaccination and institutional deliveries. It will put an end to the arduous 8 to 10 kilometer journey on foot that women and children had to undertake for basic medical needs.
The order specifies the creation of a temporary health center at Bhatkoot, Shandri Panchayat, under the aegis of the Red Cross Society Kishtwar. Additionally, the Sarpanch of Shandri Panchayat has generously offered two rooms with water and electricity facilities, free of cost, for one year to support the initiative.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kishtwar will furnish the health center with essential equipment, including a labor table, radiant warmer, labor equipment, weighing machine, ILR, and vaccination setup, on a loan basis, as detailed in the order.
Furthermore, Red Cross Kishtwar will provide Jan Aushadhi medicines procured through CMO, adding value to the healthcare services.
As part of the infrastructure setup, ACP Kishtwar will supply a 1 KW solar backup system with a battery and inverter under the 14th Finance Commission.
Recruitment for one nurse and one pharmacist will be conducted from the local inhabitants of Shandri Panchayat by the Chief Medical Officer Kishtwar, in consonance to the established norms.
This order aligns with the directive dated October 17, 2023, in letter no: RC/SB/485/541-62, by the General Secretary of the Indian Red Cross Society, Jammu & Kashmir, emphasizing the need for dispensaries in remote areas, staffed by locally available doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.