Tasaduq Hussain
Langate, Oct 16: Expressing serious concerns, the residents of Monabal Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district Monday held a strong protest against Health authorities for failing to provide their native NTPHC with sufficient staff strength.
The protesting residents raised slogans in favor of the demands urging the authorities to act early. The protesters included Sarpanch Monabal and other senior citizens and youth.
Talking to reporters the protesting residents said that the New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) is an 18-bed hospital that was constructed back in 1985 and continues to run without the full required staff strength.
“Health staff posted here are only withdrawing their salaries from this health facility but are attending their duties somewhere else. Even the night quarters have been constructed but haven’t been used since then given no one attended their actual place of posting leaving residents to suffer,” the protesting residents said.
They alleged that the doctors and surgeons posted here are attending their duties outside the Kupwara district thus leaving a large population of people on God’s mercy.
Nazir Ahmad, one of the protesting residents of Monabal said that they multiple times approached the authorities including the Health and District Administration but no concrete steps were initiated despite assurances. “Both the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Block Medical Officer (CMO) seem to be unbothered due to the problems faced by residents. The Dentist posted here has been offering services somewhere else for the last 8 years. Two doctors, a medical assistant, and about 10 posts are available here.
Another resident said that they are facing immense challenges due to a dearth of sufficient staff strength. Referring to a recent human-animal conflict, he said that a child was injured and on being moved to NTPHC Monabal there was nothing other than God’s mercy.
Chaudhary Ikhlak Kalak, another local said that they have been suffering for want of proper medical attention for a long now. “Night duty roster must be maintained. Staff posted here and enjoying their stay somewhere else must be ordered to take up their duties at the earliest. We are poor people and can only urge the authorities to act and there is no power in our hands.”
The aggrieved residents said that they have been made bare a vote bank and everyone else is enjoying their sufferings.
The residents have urged the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to look into the matter at the earliest and bring ease to their sufferings and challenges faced by them.
They also said that the staff posted at NTPHC Monabal must get it back given people living about 30 to 40 kilometers away in makeshift houses solely rely on it.
