People seek establishment of mobile health centre at Bangus

Kupwara, Sep 04: The residents and people visiting the picturesque Bangus valley in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district have appealed to health authorities to set up a mobile health centre here so that they may not face hardships with regard to non-availability of health facilities.

Pertinently the Bangus valley is the vast pasture towards which people along with their cattle across Kashmir move in the month of April and reside there till October ending. Even shepherds from Rajouri, Ponch and Kishtwar also put up there with their livestock till the onset of winter.

The residents said that due to non availability of a health centre at Bangus, they have to suffer a lot. They said that for a small ailment, they have to travel several kilometres to reach the nearest health centre.

At present more than three thousand people are putting up in temporary shelters at different locations of Bangus including Chota Bangus, Budda Bangus, Balyan, Nard Behak, Gatiwali, Nildori, Doban Behak, but lack of better health facilities have always been a concern for the residents.

Residents also demanded that a veterinary centre should be established at Bangus so that their livestock could be treated well in time in case of any disease.

“Our livestock gets affected with several severe diseases and non-availability of veterinary officials and medicines do tell upon it badly. Every year due to non availability of veterinary medicines people lose dozens of cattle,” a local shepherd from Rajwar told Greater Kashmir.

Meanwhile tourists also sought a mobile health centre at Bangus so that the hardships being faced by people may end.

"Last month I along with my family went for an outing to Bangus where my little daughter felt vomiting, we had to leave our trip midway to take her to the nearest health centre in Kralpora which happens to be almost 25 kilometers from Bangus. I believe that a mobile health centre with at least two doctors should be kept available in Bangus," a local from Handwara told Greater Kashmir.