Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 14: Strange it may sound but it is a bitter reality that a New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) Wachi in Shopian is run by a Female Multi Purpose Health worker (FMPHW).
Locals from Wachi said that the sub-centre in the area was upgraded to NTPHC a few years ago and a new building was inaugurated in January 2020.
They said that after hectic efforts a doctor was deployed there, however, with the cancelling of attachment orders of doctors and paramedical staff, all staff deployed in the health facility have joined duties at their original positions leaving NTPHC staff less.
They said that since then only immunization is being done at the hospital and no patient visits the facility where an average footfall was 50 to 60 patients per day.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a local resident, told KNO locals are suffering in absence of doctors at the hospital and are forced to visit other hospitals.
He said that whenever they visit offices of concerned authorities to seek their intervention they are being informed that no posts are sanctioned for the hospital and it has not been upgraded to NTPHC yet.
“If it is not NTPHC then how the then deputy commissioner Shopian inaugurates it in 2020,” ask locals.
They requested higher ups to look into the matter at an earliest so that they can heave a sigh of relief.
Chief Medical Officer Shopian Dr Arshid Tak acknowledged that there is staff shortage in many health centres of the district and said that they have taken up the issue with the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir and hopefully very soon this issue will be sorted out.
