Imran Naikoo
Srinagar 14 February (KNB): A construction work of a New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC), which was taken up in 2018 at Laridora village of Tehsil Narvaw in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, is yet to be completed, alleged locals on Monday.
Several locals of the Laridoora village told Kashmir News Bureau that they want construction work on the NTPHC to be completed by the concerned authorities so that they could avail of medical facilities without having to cover the long-distance for the same.
“With taking up work on the NTPHC, it would have helped in catering for the medical service to us. But the work seems to have stopped indefinitely as no one is serious enough to revive work on it,” said one of the locals.
“When the work was started on the health centre, the villagers were happy that they would get medical facilities just at a stone throw from their houses, but the work has not yet been completed, which is leaving us despondent and the dreams shattered,” said a local youth, adding that the further remaining work should be completed without letting locals suffer more.
Another local, Amir Naik, said that the health centre would have been a buttress for the health system of the district, as another PHC is around 10 km away from the village and the district hospital more than 20 Km away.
“In addition to providing relief to us in an emergency, completing the work on NTPHC could have also helped other hospitals in the district be saved from the strain of patients’ rush, which is generally seen in the present times,” he added.
He further added that the Baramulla district recently came at third rank of NITI Ayog’s Aspirational Districts of the Country but the pendency of work on the NTPHC is “undoing” the laurels brought to the district.
Regarding the issue, the Sarpanch of the area acknowledged the problem existing in the area and said that he does not know why the work has not been started on the NTPHC. “Even an order related to posting a doctor at the NTPHC was also issued but it is not known where the doctor is rendering his/her service as the facility is yet to be functional,” the Sarpanch said.
When KNB contacted Deputy Commissioner Baramulla in this regard, he did not respond.
On contacting Chief Medical Officer Baramulla, his answer to our question inferred his unawareness about the issue and said that “he would look into it” and did not comment further. (KNB)