JAMMU May 26th : Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Jammu while accusing the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Administration of misleading the Centre regarding the deplorable condition of Health, and Medicare including Ayush sector of J&K has sought Centre’s intervention so that adequate measures are taken to address this significant and most sensitive issue of people.
In a statement issued to media here today, the senior National Conference leader said that it is an irony of the people of Jammu and Kashmir that while the Prime Minister keeps on reiterating the commitment to provide benefits of Govt schemes to the last man standing in line, the ground realities in this Union Territory especially viz-a-viz Health and Medicare sector are quite contrary. He said that the deplorable condition of this sector can be well gauged from the fact that this Union Territory is facing a huge shortage of doctors and paramedical staff as a result of which the people continue to suffer badly.
Elaborately divulging the details, Rattan Lal Gupta said that presently in J&K there are 269 Public Health Centres out of which 165 centres are running completely at the mercy of God. These 165 centres have no qualified doctors and are being solely run by paramedical staff. The condition of the rest of 84 Heath Centres is no good too as these are having no sanctioned strength of doctors available for the patients visiting these centres.The condition of village dispensaries are more in worse conditions and many are closed.
The senior NC leader further informed that 1000 posts of doctors and 5000 posts of para medical staff are lying vacant in J&K due to which the people are facing huge deficit in medical services. He claimed that during the National Conference regime in the erstwhile State of J&K led by Omar Abdullah J&K
Health Deptt bagged 2nd position across the nation for providing best health services and the Department’s performance but today health and medicare is totally in shambles and people have to go out of J&K for availing medical services incurring huge costs.
Rattan Lal Gupta appealed to the centre administration to look into the most urgent and sensitive matter of the people and direct the LG Administration to take adequate steps for filling all the vacant posts in Health and Medical Department at the earliest so that people of J&K get the optimum health services specially far flung areas of J&K which are totally ignored.
