Srinagar, Dec 14 (KNO): Despite approximately 11 years passing since the foundation stone for the hospital was laid in the housing colony of Chanapora, residents are still awaiting its upgrade from Primary Health Centre (PHC) to a sub-district hospital.
Locals told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that for the last 11 years, they have been advocating for the transformation of the PHC into a Sub-District Hospital. However, it has not happened despite an expenditure of over Rs 20 crore on the building.
They said the building was completed in 2014 and equipped with good infrastructure, the latest medical equipment, and modular operation theatres. However, it continues to operate as a PHC due to reasons known to higher-ups, they said.
“Despite sufficient infrastructure and facilities, it's not meeting the needs of the population in and around Chanapora locality,” the locals expressed.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a local resident, said although the building was upgraded to become a Sub-District Hospital (SDH), it has been functioning as a PHC, providing services only from 10 am to 4 pm.
We demand that the PHC be upgraded to a fully-fledged SDH and operate 24x7 to better cater to the needs of the local population, he said.
Farooq Ahmad, a local corporator, informed KNO that he, along with locals, has brought the issue to the attention of every authority, but no tangible progress has been observed on the ground.
“In medical emergencies, patients need to be transported to either SMHS or SKIMS, which is far from our locality. If PHC Chanapora is upgraded, it will not only address medical emergencies for locals in Chanapora but also those in areas like Bagh-e-Mehtab, Nowgam, Natipora, and Rawalpora,” he said.
The corporator also raised concerns about the absence of a gynaecologist and the inoperable machines worth crores at the hospital due to a lack of operators.
Meanwhile, a health department official told KNO that the demands of Chanapora residents have been conveyed to higher-ups and are under consideration. “The area would soon have 24x7 health facilities at the hospital,” he said—(KNO)