Budgam’s Chewdara residents demand staff, facility upgrades at under-served health centre

Budgam, Aug 09: Residents of Chewdara village in Beerwah Tehsil of Budgam have called upon the Health Department of Kashmir to appoint a doctor and paramedical staff at the Chewdara Health Centre, which is currently operating without a physician. They said a doctor was recently transferred to Pulwama, which has significantly impacted healthcare services in the village and its surrounding areasBashir Ahmad Sheikh, a local, told Rising Kashmir that he visited the health centre seeking treatment, but due to the absence of doctors, he was unable to receive any medical care.”A few days ago, the doctor at the Chewdara Health Centre was transferred to Pulwama district, and since then, patient care in the village and surrounding areas has been adversely affected,” Sheikh said.He said that while the health centre does have some staff, they are only able to provide first aid services to patients. He urged the government to ensure that adequate staff are appointed in accordance with the sanctioned positions at the health centre.”The population relying entirely on this health center exceeds 20,000 individuals. This is one of the oldest health centres in Budgam district. We request the government to upgrade this health centre to a Public Health Centre so that comprehensive services can be provided under one roof,” Bashir said, adding that the government has also constructed a new facility in the village, but it has yet to be made functional.Abdul Ahad Mir, another senior resident of Chewdara, said the government constructed a new building for the health centre at a different location, on land donated by a local landowner at no cost. “Due to space constraints in the old building, a new health centre was sanctioned, and its construction is nearly complete. However, due to contractor issues, the building has not been handed over to the health department for the past nine years. The health centre will relocate to this new facility, which will offer all necessary services,” Mir said.He added that an ambulance, donated by the District Development Council (DDC) member of Rathsun block, has been allocated to the health centre, enabling patients from nearby villages to benefit from ambulance services.”For the past two months, this ambulance has been stationed at the Sub-District Hospital in Beerwah following directives from the BMO Beerwah,” he said. According to residents, during this period, the health centre has operated without a doctor, paramedical staff, and an ambulance, severely impacting patient care in Chewdara and surrounding areas.”We urge the government to deploy the ambulance back to the health centre, transfer operations to the new building, and provide us with adequate staff as per the designated posts of the health centre,” Mir said.He said that during emergencies, patients are often compelled to hire private sumos to reach hospitals, as the ambulance assigned to the Chewdara Health Centre is currently stationed at the Sub-District Hospital in Beerwah.An official from the Chief Medical Office, Budgam, assured that the issue regarding the ambulance will be resolved promptly, and the ambulance will be returned to Chewdara Health Centre within a short period.MLA Beerwah, Dr Mohammad Shafi Wani, said, “It has come to my notice that the health centre is operating without a doctor, which has adversely affected patient care. I have spoken with the Director of Health Services Kashmir, who has assured me that a doctor will be assigned to Chewdara Health Centre shortly.”He added, “All pending work in the new building will be completed immediately, including the development of the main road leading to the health centre. Funds have already been allocated for this purpose. Once all work is finished, the health centre will be officially relocated to the new facility.”