PHC Wadipora lacks staff, better diagnostic facilities, people suffer

Residents of Wadipora and its adjacent villages in north Kashmir's Kupwara district have said that lack of adequate staff and better diagnostic facilities at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Wadipora has been a concern for them for last several years but authorities were unmoved, instead were watching their miseries as mute spectators.

The residents said that the hospital was established several years ago but it has never remained a priority for authorities. They said that the health centre lacks better health care facilities thus forcing locals to look for other alternatives with regard to their treatment.

The failure of the department to provide better diagnostic facilities at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Wadipora has also left the locals anguished.

They said that a manual X-ray plant and an ECG machine were available in the hospital but they did not fulfill the purpose. They said that installation of a digital X-ray machine was necessary so that the patients were not forced to move to Handwara for the want of the same.

The residents said that the hospital was functioning without the services of an ambulance which really tells of the smooth functioning of the hospital. Pregnancy care has also been hit badly due to non-availability of a specialised gynecologist here with the result women of the area face severe hardships and they were forced to visit Handwara.

Locals told Greater Kashmir that they have brought these grievances into the notice of concerned officials numerous times but nothing concrete has been done in this regard so far.

Block Medical Officer (BMO) Zachaldara Dr Abdul Gani said that the whole Zachaladara medical block has dearth of medical officers but still then two doctors have been deputed here. He said that since PHC Wadipora has been aligned with GMC Handwara, so it will be the responsibility of GMC to look after staff and diagnostic facilities.