PDP's Parra raises issue of inadequate healthcare services at District Hospital Pulwama in LA

Srinagar, Mar 13: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislative party leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed ur Rehman Parra, today raised a concern in the Legislative Assembly over inadequate healthcare services at District Hospital Pulwama.

Emphasising the growing public demand for better medical infrastructure, Parra urged the government to take immediate steps to  upgrade the hospital’s facilities.

While seeking information on the measures taken to strengthen healthcare services at the hospital, Parra urged the government to take steps to improve facilities.

The PDP leader emphasised the need for a separate diagnostic block equipped with “high-end CT, MRI, DR System, advanced USG, and Doppler machines.”

In response, the government clarified that strengthening hospital services is a phase-wise process carried out annually based on budget availability.

The government said that specific steps have been taken to strengthen the existing facilities at the district hospital which include the improvements made at patient wards, expansion of the emergency care unit, and increasing the number of specialised departments to enhance the hospital’s capacity to handle the growing patient influx.

Authorities informed MLA Pulwama that District Hospital Pulwama currently has a 200-bed capacity and caters to the healthcare needs of the district.

The government said that CT scan, USG, and Doppler services are already operational within the hospital. However, it stated that the demand for a separate diagnostic block will be assessed “based on its merits.”

The government further stated that the installation of additional hospital machines and equipment is a continuous process.

The government however said that an MRI machine is currently not available at the hospital, clarifying that MRI machines are being made available at tertiary-level hospitals like the new government medical colleges in a phased manner.

Raising the issue of the old and dilapidated structure of District Hospital Pulwama, Parra proposed dismantling the “outdated building and replacing it with a modern vertical structure”. He stated that this would help the hospital accommodate more services and increase the number of beds. In response, the government ruled out the immediate demolition of the existing structure and said that it is in a good condition.

The government assured that minor upgradation works required for the building would be carried out in due course after working out necessary estimates.

The authorities emphasised that hospital buildings cannot be dismantled without proper assessment and adherence to the National Building Code (NBC) norms of India. The government informed that the expansion of the casualty block is already in progress, which will increase the bed capacity from 13 to 40.

Authorities further said that a 50-bed Critical Care Block is being constructed under the ECRP-II scheme at a cost of ₹23.75 crore.