Srinagar, Jan 22: Pregnant women from over a dozen villages are facing significant hardships due to a defunct ultrasonography machine at Primary Health Centre in Kalantra, located in Kreeri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Residents of Kalantra and its surrounding areas have expressed concern over the neglect of the health facility, now functioning as a rural training center under the dual control of GMC Baramulla and BMO Kreeri, despite lofty claims of improving healthcare in the region.
Manzoor Ahmad, a local resident, said the health facility caters to hundreds of patients of more than a dozen villages and they continue to suffer due to the defunct USG machine.
A pregnant woman at Kalantra (who wished not to be quoted) said due to the defunct USG facility at the PHC, they are compelled to visit SDH Kreeri, which is 15 km away.
“Traveling to SDH Kreeri is a daunting task due to the poor condition of the road. We face numerous challenges during the journey. The defunct USG machine should be made functional to provide much-needed relief to the women in the villages,” she said.
Some women of the area revealed that some expecting mothers are compelled to travel 20 to 25 km to get their USG done and they also face immense difficulties.
The patients of the area said that last year a gynaecologist was deputed to the hospital once a week however now no gynaecologist visits the hospital.
The residents said the already installed X-ray machine is not functioning for a long time due to lack of a proper backup or transformer facility forcing patients to visit private labs.
Not only this, the residents said the ECG machine is also defunct leaving patents to suffer. They said recently a man died due to heart attack and his ECG could not be done there. They said that the health authorities have failed to purchase paper roll for it.
The locals also raised the issue of some basic diagnostic tests that are not being conducted due to lack of reagents and other requirements.
“The hospital should run 24/7. Our patients are suffering. We appealed to higher ups many times to provide technical staff for the diagnostic lab but nothing has been done so far,” he said.
Due to staff shortage, patients are compelled to visit other hospitals including SDH Kreeri, SDH Chandoosa, and District Hospital Baramulla for treatment.
In 2019, the PHC Kalantra was converted into Rural Training Health Centre (RHTC) under Government Medical College Baramulla but it continues to face neglect.
“After its conversion to RHTC, we were promised that the facility would be developed and people will have health facilities at doorsteps which we have not seen yet,” Manzoor said.
The hospital is centrally located and caters to over 30,000 population of villages including Kalantra Payeen, Kalantra Bala, Danmoh, Kakothal, Kachwa, Muqam, Darwa, Mungam, Bandipayeen, Kohlina, Saterseeran, Nagbal, Nambalnar and other adjoining villages.
The residents appealed to the Minister for H&ME Department, Sakeena Itoo and the Administrative Secretary, H&ME Department, Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah to look into the matter and take concrete measures so that patients do not suffer anymore.
Notably, on Wednesday, following repeated phone calls from this newspaper to the GMC Baramulla authorities, a meeting was convened under the chairmanship of the principal to address the issues faced by the patients at the PHC.
Incharge Head of the Department of SPM at GMC Baramulla said that an ECG machine has been borrowed and will be installed at PHC Kalantra by Thursday evening.
Regarding the defunct USG machine, the HOD said it would be repaired soon as they have called the engineers from Delhi to make it functional. It also does not have a sonologist.
Officials said GMC Baramulla is facing shortage of radiologists which is why they are unable to run the USG machine adding that a meeting is scheduled in coming days with BMO Kreeri to resolve the issue of sonologist at the PHC.
Regarding the issue of X-ray machine, he said it requires an 80 kv transformer which costs approximately Rs 2 lakh and needs to be talked about.
About the issue of gynecologist, the HOD stated that the principal medical college will discuss the matter with BMO Kreeri to address the public concern.
