Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Mar 21: A Primary Health Centre at Cheki-Wangund in South Kashmir’s Kulgam District awaits completion for last four years thereby devoiding people of health care facilities.
The locals said although the construction work on the required building has been completed the authorities have failed to throw the building open to people. “The building is complete but a possible tussle over the inauguration is delaying the process. They do not care about the people who were supposed to get quality health care. The health care, of at least ten thousand people including some of the tribal villages, depend on the sole health centre” they claimed.
A local said that without necessary infrastructure the health care is useless as there is no space to put up diagnostic facilities and patients have to either go to the District Hospitals or visit a private laboratory for diagnosis. “Leave diagnostic equipments apart the doctors are not there. The health centre operates from a single residential quarter and apart from watchmen no one is there,” he added.
The locals also alleged that due to inordinate delay, the newly constructed building had already developed cracks and flooring has deteriorated at several places. “Just visit the builds you would not believe it is a new building. It looks like an old abandoned building,” they added.
However, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kulgam, Dr Shafi Bhat when contacted said incomplete internal works and insufficient funds hindered the construction process. “Some of the internal works are incomplete and the earlier estimated cost of Rs 1.50 crore was found to be insufficient for the project. Now the cost has been revised and work will soon pick up”, he said.
He also said that the floorings have developed cracks at some places, which also needed to look into. “Next week I will visit the place to assess the overall progress of the project,” he added.
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