Budgam, Feb 02 (KNO): The inhabitants of Hayatpura in Chadoora area of central Kashmir's Budgam district Tuesday afternoon locked the primary health centre (PHC) after finding the doctors absent from their duties.
Witnesses told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the villagers staged a protest outside the primary health centre Hayatpura, stating that the PHC is well-equipped with latest machinery, however, they still have to travel around 10 kilometers to visit Chadoora hospital due to the absence of doctors in the PHC.
The locals said that funds worth lakhs have been spent on it, however, due to the absence of doctors the healthcare facility is lying defunct.
They said that the doctors who were posted in the PHC were attached with COVID-19 duty after its outbreak and since then no doctor has been asked to report to their original place of posting.
The villagers said that what is the fun of having a well-equipped health care facility when it doesn't have any doctors.
"A few days ago I visited the PHC for the purpose of tooth-filing, however, I was asked to go Chadoora hospital because of the absence of doctors in the healthcare facility in our village. We are made to suffer a lot,” said a local resident.
He said that even today when some locals visited the hospital at around 12:25 pm, there was no doctor available in the hospital.
“After finding no doctor in the hospital we padlocked the main door and handed over the keys to the gatekeeper and we will not allow them to open it until our demands are fulfilled,” he said.
Meanwhile, chief medical officer Budgam, Dr Tajamul said that the doctors are continuously busy with COVID-19 surveillance, pulse polio and COVID-19 vaccination and the locals there are demanding a male doctor for the PHC.
He, however, assured that they will send a female doctor for the PHC who will be available there 6 days a week—(KNO)