Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Nov 20: Despite tall claims of the Government to provide better health care facilities in Rural areas, Primary Health Centre (PHC) at tehsil headquarters, Dinga Amb in Billawar constituency of district Kathua is without Ambulance.
Surprisingly, two drivers are posted there by the State Health authorities but presently there is no Ambulance. The patients have been left to suffer during any emergency but drivers have been left to sit idle without any work.
Former Sarpanch, Kuldip Gupta, disclosed that only old truck-type Ambulance was provided to this PHC about more than a decade ago by the State health authorities. About four years ago, a Van type small Ambulance was also sanctioned but that was later retained by the BMO Hiranagar, mostly for the personal use or his staff. Despite strong objection by the Dinga Amb Panchayat members, that Ambulance was not restored even after the intervention of CMO Kathua.
Mr Gupta said now, this only big `truck-type’ ambulance is lying defunct/out of order for the last more than two years. This vehicle neither has insurance or any other valid document. No pains were taken by the Health Department to get the vehicle repaired and put to use. He urged upon the Director Health Jammu to personally intervene and sanction an Ambulance for PHC, Dinga Amb which is now Tehsil headquarter.
He said this place is hardly 10 kms away from National Highway, on Dyala Chak-Chhalla-Billawar hilly road. At the time of any road accident or other emergency, no ambulance is available in this only nearby PHC of Dinga Amb. For shifting many delivery cases to Kathua or Jammu, the people of these adjoining 9 Panchayats suffer badly, he added.
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