Govt thinks big, but health centre lies neglected
Tribune News Service

Chandimarh-Surankote (Poonch), September 26
The state government may be working to bring big giants like Fortis, Max etc on a public-private partnership basis to improve the healthcare in the state, but it has failed to maintain its existing strengths.

One glaring example is the primary health centre here, which offers little help to about 15,000 inhabitants of the area.

The centre has just four beds for patients. There is no X-ray and ultrasound machine. Moreover there are no life-saving drugs for patients for emergency time.

A centre employee, on the condition of anonymity, said against the minimum requirement of 10 beds, the PHC just has four. Life-saving drugs, a must for any PHC, are not available, he added.

“This healthcare centre doesn’t fulfil the criteria of being called a PHC. There is acute shortage of life-saving drugs like aspirin, hydro-cortisone, ceftrixine, Ampicilin and electrolytes,” said an employee at the PHC asking not to be named.

He said: “This PHC caters to a huge population and people come here from as far as Dugran, Poshana, Bufliaz areas.”

“Since this PHC lies along the under-construction Mughal Road project, there are large number of patients with accidental injuries but since we don’t have adequate infrastructure and medicines, we refer them to Surankote Sub-district Hospital or Jammu Medical College,” he added.

Jasbir Singh, director, Health Services, Jammu, refused to comment on the issue saying, “First check your knowledge on PHCs.” Meanwhile, another senior officer in the Health Department said he would take up the matter with the local authorities.