9 years, no hospital: Gundjehangir residents pay the price of delay

Bandipora, Nov 7: Nearly nine years after construction began on a hospital building in Gundjehangir village of Hajin medical block in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, the project remains incomplete — leaving thousands of residents without access to basic healthcare.

Locals said repeated pleas to the authorities have yielded little action, forcing patients to travel long distances to Hajin or Bandipora even for minor ailments. “The hospital building has been under construction since 2016, but nothing seems to be moving forward,” said Mohammad Yousuf Rather, a resident. “The population here exceeds ten thousand, yet we are deprived of proper healthcare. Patients suffer the most, especially during emergencies.”

Residents said the work on the building stopped years ago for unexplained reasons, and the unfinished structure now stands as a reminder of official apathy. Another villager, Manzoor Ahmad Dar, said the abandoned site has become a shelter for anti-social elements. “It’s painful to see a hospital turning into a den for drug users. So much money has gone to waste,” he said.

People said the existing health facility is inadequate to meet the needs of Gundjehangir and its adjoining areas. “We’ve raised this issue repeatedly during government outreach programmes, but it’s been all talk and no action,” said a resident.

The Block Medical Officer, Hajin, Dr Idrees Ahmad, told Greater Kashmir that the work on the hospital is likely to resume soon.

He said “most of the construction has already been completed”, with only some portions pending.

Officials said a detailed status report has been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Bandipora, who is “proactively” following up on the delayed projects.

He expressed hope that funds will be released shortly to complete the remaining work.