Jahangeer Ganaie
Awantipora, May 2: A Health and Wellness Centre in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district is facing space crunch due to which the health services are hit.
Residents of the KachKoot Awantipora said that shortage of staff has affected the services as there is a lack of doctors.
They said that medicines and other things are available at the centre but in absence of any doctor, people are unable to avail any benefit.
The Health centre is currently operating out of two rooms with one among them filled with medicines, vaccines and other items. And the other is where the centre is operating.
“We are ready to donate land if the government is ready to construct a new building for the hospital,” locals said.
The health centre falls along national highway-44 and is lying in between SDH Bijbehara and PHC Awantipora, they said.
“Every day accidents take place on the highway in the area but in absence of such facilities available at the centre, they are forced to take injured persons to other hospitals,” they added.
Locals requested higher ups to look into the matter and either shift the centre to any building or construct a new building for which they are ready to donate land.
Official sources said the officials posted at the centre are unable to purchase new items for the centre as there is space to keep these items.
Meanwhile an official of the health department said that they are looking for any school building lying vacant in the area so that the centre can be shifted there.
He denied any plans of upgrading as of now and said that the government is committed to provide basic health facilities to all people.
