Govt expresses inability to operationalize 676 newly sanctioned Health Sub-Centres in J&K

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Mar 15:  The newly sanctioned 676 Health Sub-Centres in Jammu and Kashmir are all set to face many road blocks as the State Government is learnt to have expressed its inability for operationalizing these new centers without required manpower and other logistics.
According to official sources, the State Government’s inability to operationalize these new centers has been formally conveyed to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
“The manpower and other logistics required for these Sub-Centers have not been sanctioned for which the matter has been taken up with Government of India clearly conveying our inability to operationalize these new centers without staff and the required funds,” admits the Government in a written reply submitted to the House.
Pertinent to mention here that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had recently sanctioned a proposal to establish 676 Health Sub-Centres in Jammu and Kashmir in the supplementary PIP 2013-14.
These new Sub-Centres, 429 in Jammu and 247 in Kashmir Valley, were sanctioned   on the basis of principle of ‘Time to Care’, that means half an hour travel time distance on foot from the habitation to the health care centre.
Out of  676,  29 new Health Sub-Centers were  sanctioned for Jammu district,  54 for  Kathua, 13 for  Samba, 44 for  Udhampur, 70 for  Rajouri, 37 for Poonch, 39 for  Reasi, 39 for  Ramban, 69 for  Doda, 36 for Kishtwar, 26 for Budgam, 16 for Ganderbal, 13 for  Pulwama, 11 for Shopian, 23 for Kulgam,  38 for Kupwara, 43 for Baramulla, 14 for  Bandipora, 18 for  Leh and 18 for Kargil.
As the creation and sanction of these Sub-Centres would also require concurrence of the Planning and Finance Department, the proposal is unlikely to become a reality in near future, sources explained.
The obvious delay in operationalizing the new Sub-Centres is all set to further burden the existing health care institutions in Jammu and Kashmir where the workload has been multiplying over the years.
During the last three years, the number of patients visiting OPD of the health care centers in J&K has increased from 195.35 lakh to 226.16 lakh per year.  As per the official data, 11.18 lakh patients were admitted in the health institutions across the State by ending January during the year 2013-14. Similarly, during the same period, 1.27 lakh major and 4.10 lakh minor surgeries were conducted in these health care institutions.
On the other hand, only nine Primary Health Centres were opened and 22 health institutions were upgraded from March 2009 to ending December 2013.
Even as 4624 institutions are presently providing primary and secondary health care services to the people in Jammu and Kashmir, the shortage of doctors and para-medical staff  is the big hurdle in taking care of  huge rush  of patients.
As against the sanctioned strength of 7092 doctors in both Health and Medical Education Department, only 5387 doctors are in-position. Similarly, as against the sanctioned strength of 20664 posts of para-medicals, only 14853 posts have been filled.
Further, in respect of logistics, there is shortage of 41 ambulances in Jammu division and 63 in Kashmir for PHCs.
The situation can be gauged from the fact even in the Super Specialty Hospital Jammu, there is shortage of 20 ventilators as the 22 bedded ICU is running with only two ventilators.
In Government Medical College Jammu, 40 ventilators are available but only 18 are in working condition. Remaining five are under repair while 17 have outlived their life beyond economic repair.

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