Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 13: The New Type Public Health Centre (NTPHC) operational in the Chattergul area of Ganderbal district lacks basic facilities, prompting people to urge the authorities to take steps to facilitate patient care.
The aggrieved residents noted that despite the Government spending significant sums to set up the hospital in an area with a population of 20,000, it is unable to address the basic healthcare needs of the masses in both the local and adjoining areas.
“In case of any emergency, we have to take our patients to Kangan or Ganderbal despite having a huge hospital building available here; without staff, it is of no use,” said Ghulam Qadir Khattana, a local resident.
He emphasized that although the Government established the facility for the betterment of the people, the hospital is locked after 4 in the evening. “If money has been spent, we should have necessary staff for the night and machinery for basic tests,” he added.
Residents pointed out that aprat from checking blood pressure, the hospital provides no other facilities, and even that is available only from 10 in the morning to 4 in the evening.
They stressed the need for night time staff availability, stating, “As of now, we have one doctor present here who stays until 4 in the evening.”
The aggrieved locals argued that if the Government had taken measures to ensure necessary facilities at the hospital, it could have served people in several other areas in the vicinity.
Nazir Ahmad Mir, Sarpanch of Chattergul-C, mentioned raising the matter with concerned authorities on various occasions, lamenting that their pleas and requests have fallen on deaf ears.
“Be it Block Diwas or any other occasion, we have duly raised the matter, asking them to ensure the presence of sufficient staff and allowing the hospital to function at night, but nothing has been done so far. We are not influential, which seems to be the reason they are not addressing our demands,” he expressed.
He emphasized that in case of an emergency, the hospital is unable to provide necessary first aid or conduct basic tests, urging intervention from the District Commissioner (DC) and the concerned Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
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