No plans to upgrade PHC Verinag: Govt

Jammu, Mar 20: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday said there is currently no proposal to upgrade the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Verinag, located in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir. However, it said the health institutions in the Dooru constituency are well-supported with the necessary manpower.
Responding to a query from MLA G A Mir, Health and Medical Education Department Minister Sakeena Itoo, said, “According to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), the catchment population of Verinag is 35,000 residents, which does not qualify it for elevation to the status of a Community Health Centre (CHC).”
She said there are no plans to establish a Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCCH) in the old hospital building of Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Dooru, as MCCH services for the area are currently provided by SDH Dooru itself.
“The hospital is staffed with two gynaecologists, one paediatrician, and additional support personnel,” Itoo said, adding that over the past three years, a total of 1,203 deliveries have been successfully carried out at the hospital.
The minister said the health department is exploring ways to utilise all available infrastructure, including old hospital buildings, depending on their condition and the healthcare needs of the people. “The old building of SDH Dooru is situated approximately one kilometre from its new location, which was established in 2019. The utilisation of these old structures will be assessed based on the area’s healthcare requirements and the prevailing IPHS 2022 norms,” she said.
Itoo further informed that the establishment of a Dialysis Centre at SDH Dooru has already been approved, with an expected operational date set for the next financial year. “The Dialysis Unit is scheduled to be operational by December 12, 2024,” she added. (KNO)