People vote for better healthcare facilities at Faqir Gujri

Srinagar, May 13

In the secluded picturesque village of Faqir Gujri, scores of elderly men and women bee-lined outside a polling station in early morning today. This village in one of far-flung areas of Srinagar which is participating in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha election for the Srinagar Parliamentary seat.

A few meters away from the polling station is the Primary Health Centre, which the voters in the queues say is not able to provide them with basic health facilities. They said that this time, they voted for better health facilities in the least connected village of Srinagar.

Zareena Begum, a female voter waiting in the queue, said that women in the area face hardships on a daily basis to get basic health facilities.

“We want a representative who will raise our issue so that we don’t suffer. For the want of basic health care, we have to travel to the heart of the city via this tough terrain,” Zareena said.

The females of the village said that as the medical facilities in Srinagar have advanced over the years, they were feeling left out. They said the pregnant ladies and other patients don’t have basic medical care.

The elderly of the village also said that they are suffering because they lack basic facilities, including health facilities, and through their vote, they want to change that.

“We have a doctor here without proper medicine stock or diagnostic tools. At times he is called for duty in other areas of Hazratbal while we are left to fend for ourselves. When the medical staff is not enough and there is a shortage of medicine, where are the poor people of this village supposed to go?,” rued Muhammad Ismail, an octogenarian.

The voters, while pointing to the health centre, said, “due to poverty and lack of personal vehicles, we had an ambulance facility here, which was discontinued. There is no accountability, and through our vote, we want to choose someone who will be accountable for these things,”

In addition to health facilities, they said that the inflated power and water bills have broken the backs of the poor in the village. They said the area has over 900 households, and all are doing menial jobs to make ends meet.

“I am a widow and feeding my two kids by doing menial jobs. The inflated power bills, water bills, and lack of basic facilities are the main issues that are on my mind when I cast my vote. We feel there is a lack of representation, and we hope that by choosing our representative, there will be someone who will talk about marginalized people like us,” said Shaheena.

Other first-time voters, like 18-year-old Yasmeena, voiced the same concern. She said that they want a bright future where they don’t have to crave basic facilities despite being part of Srinagar.

“Be it health, electricity, ration or road connectivity, we are lacking in every aspect. We hope that as young voters are coming out, this will bring a change,” she said.

The queues were equally long in the adjacent areas of Nagbal Dara, where both males and females exercised their right to vote. In Faqir Gujri, officials said that there was brisk voting, with 61 votes cast in the first two hours of voting.