Only 21% of rural PHCs in J&K operate 24/7: Report

Srinagar, Oct 30: The Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure & Human Resources) 2022-23 report of Union Ministry of Health has revealed that, of the 890 functioning Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir, only 187 (21%) operate 24/7, and only 264 are equipped with labour rooms.
“In J&K’s rural areas, out of 890 functioning Primary Health Centers (PHCs), only 187 (21%) operate 24/7, and only 264 are equipped with labor rooms,” the report reveals.
J&K is among the states/UTs with the lowest number of PHCs (2) equipped with operation theaters (OTs). Additionally, only 381 PHCs have at least four beds.
Out of 890 PHCs in rural areas, 95 lack electricity, 59 lack water supply, and 102 do not have all-weather motorable approach roads. Additionally, 336 are equipped with computers, and 673 are registered with RKS/JAS.
The rural areas of J&K have a total of 52 CHCs of which 19 have all four specialists while only 40 have functional OT, all have functional laboratory and labour rooms and 45 are with functional stabilization units for newborns.
The report reveals that of the 52 CHCs, only 41 are functional with new born care corners, 40 have at least 30 beds and 51 have functional X-ray machines.
The report said there are a total of 2,434 sub centres in rural areas in J&K, of which only 824 are working in government buildings, while 1580 are working in rented buildings.
Additionally, 30 sub-centers operate in rent-free panchayat buildings, while 1,610 new buildings are still required to be constructed. Furthermore, 675 sub-centers lack regular water supply, and 534 are without electricity.
In rural areas there is still a lack of gender-specific toilets. The data reveals that nearly half of PHCs lack the facilities.
The report states that, of the 2,434 functioning sub-centers, only 579 have separate toilets for male and female patients. Similarly, of the 890 PHCs, only 501 have separate toilets for male and female patients, and out of 52 CHCs, 50 have separate toilets.
The annual report holds significant importance as it acts as a crucial source of information for decision making and policy intervention and monitoring the status of public health infrastructure and human resources of India.
The report provides data on health infrastructure including manpower. The publication is based on data provided by the States/UTs. The data has been analyzed and cross-checked for consistency and also validated with the data available from other sources.
It plays a crucial role in providing the GoI and the stakeholders with reliable inputs to monitor the progress of various flagship programs as well as the vision of NHM by capturing health infrastructure, monthly service delivery data right from the facilities to the national level