NTPHC Monbal faces acute staff shortage, residents suffer

Kupwara, Dec 14: The residents of Haril and surrounding areas have expressed strong resentment over the acute shortage of staff at the New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) Monbal, which caters to more than fifty villages in the upper reaches and remote parts of Kupwara district.

The health centre serves villages including Lahikote, Changdi, Monbal, Bandi, Malikpora, Utroosa, Kelshan, Londa, Haril, Jahama and Sheikhpora, but locals said the lack of doctors and paramedical staff has severely affected healthcare delivery. Due to heavy snowfall in winter and the absence of specialist doctors, patients are often carried on makeshift cots for several kilometres to reach Haril, from where they travel further to hospitals in Qalamabad or Handwara.

Residents said the hospital, established over two decades ago, has never been a priority for the authorities. They pointed out that a dental surgeon who earlier visited the facility a few days a week has been transferred and not replaced. They also complained about the absence of basic diagnostic facilities such as X-ray, ECG and ultrasound, hampering timely diagnosis and treatment.

Despite repeated demands over the years for specialist doctors, including a gynaecologist, and for round-the-clock services, no concrete steps have been taken, residents alleged. They have appealed to MLA Langate Sheikh Khursheed to take up the matter and ensure adequate staffing and facilities at the health centre.