Health centre at Rengpath in Kupwara operating from unsafe building

Kupwara, Jan 29: Authorities in Rengpath Qaziabad area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district have failed to construct a new building for the health centre established decades ago in the village.

The centre is operating from an unsafe building giving tough time to both patients and employees posted here.

The residents said that the plinth and walls of the building have got damaged several years ago. But the concerned authorities were doing nothing for its renovation or coming up with a new building, much to the disappointment of locals.

The residents said that the deplorable and pathetic condition of the health centre building always poses threat to the employees and patients.

“Since I am a hypertensive patient and visit the health centre usually for checkup, I always remain apprehensive that the building might collapse,” said an octogenarian of the area.

The pathetic condition of the building has left the employees anguished also. They said that the building presents a deplorable condition and needs immediate renovation so that human loss could be thwarted.

The residents of the area said that the existing building has damaged completely, so renovation would not fulfill the purpose. They demanded that a new building be constructed for the health centre. They also demanded that the health centre should be upgraded to New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) so that a huge chunk of population could be benefitted by better health care facilities.

Meanwhile, Block Medical Officer (BMO) Langate Dr Hafeez Ahmad Khan acknowledged that the building has received extensive damage over the years and has been declared unsafe.

On being asked that why department has failed to construct a new building, he said that the decision in that regard has to be taken at higher level. “The health centre will be shifted to any private nearby building till any permanent solution is made,” BMO added.