By: Aabid Hameed
Pulwama: The sufferings of people living in Tral sub division of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district has continued to mount as the authorities have failed to complete the construction of twin hospital buildings in the area from the last five years.
Locals from Lalpora Tral and Hari Parigam Awantipora told Precious Kashmir that PHC building in their respective areas are awaiting completion since last five years now. However, the existing centres are craving for basic infrastructure and locals are forced to visit Sub District Hospital or District Hospital for even minor ailments.
Lalpora residents said that even after the passage of more than five years, the construction work on the new building of Primary Health Centre (PHC) has not been completed.
They said that the construction work of the building was undertaken by the housing board department, however, they failed to complete its work even after years, due to which the patients are facing immense hardships.
“We have been facing many issues as the centre operates from two rooms only. Construction of new building with the facilities would have mitigated our problems but, unfortunately, it took many years so far, and is yet to be completed,” Shameem Ahmad, a local resident said.
The staff members posted in the centre also complained of hardships, in view of space constraints in it, and said that the rooms (available for PHC) they are working in; witness the good flow of patients throughout the day.
They said that staff strength is sufficient here, however, some of the staffers have been taken to other places due to lack of accommodation.
Locals from Hariparigam village said that hospital building was 99 percent completed years before with huge amount of money but due to unknown reasons it has been left abandoned.
Despite the hospital was completed before years but it hasn’t been made functional as of now due to which it is getting dilapidated with each passing day, they said.
As years have passed now since it was left abandoned due to which its windows, doors besides washroom, power fitting and other things have suffered damage but nobody cares, said Mukhtar Ahmad a local resident.
He said that even building is now used by drug addicts due to which eve teasing incidents are common in the area besides that students of the nearby school especially girls are feeling insecure.
We have brought this issue in notice of concerned authorities several times but no attention is being towards it, said another local.
Officials in last few years have visited here twice but nothing was done on the ground as building continues to remain defunct, he said.
Meanwhile, Block Medical Officer (BMO) Tral Bashir Ahmad said that he has taken up issue with agencies working on these two projects and have asked them to complete buildings at an earliest.
He said that very soon the health centers will start functioning from the new buildings and subsequently the people will get all the facilities.
