Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 26: In the midst of tall claims made by Lieutenant Governor administration in Jammu and Kashmir for reforms in health sector, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lambasted the administration while adding that crumbling state of health sector in rural areas of the Union Territory is getting worst with each passing day and bureaucratic rule is only busy to ensure that there is no decline in paper performance.
Addressing a press conference at the Party office in Jammu, AAP leaders said that Sub District Hospital (SDH) Mendhar is located at sub division headquarter in Mendhar area of Poonch district and caters healthcare needs of over two lakh people and is also a sensitive one in nature as over 20 villages of this sub division are on Line of Control and remain under direct target of Pakistani shelling during ceasefire violation.
“In this important hospital, 60% posts of the doctors are lying vacant as there are only 14 doctors in position against the sanction strength of 31 and even the posts of doctors like Anaesthesist, Surgeon are vacant, “AAP leaders said, adding, this is just example of one hospital and situation is same in almost every SDH of Pir Panjal region and people in rural areas are fully deprived of good healthcare services and Government is busy only in drum beating of reforms.
They said insensitivity of this Government can be gauzed from the fact that the post of Principal in Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri has been lying vacant for last 8 months and things are being run through additional charges and look-after principals. “GMC Rajouri caters healthcare needs of not only the people from Rajouri and Poonch but also patients from Mahore sub-division of Reasi district,” the Party leaders added.
“We once again volunteer ourselves to help LG administration to bring reforms in healthcare sector and ensure basic healthcare services in a proper manner as AAP is having an expertise in this sector and there is no competition of AAP’s health model,” They said.