National Conference Working President and MLA Beerwah Omar Abdullah on Friday said the dilapidated condition of hospitals and health department installations in the State was a testimony to the collective failure of the State and Central Governments in the aftermath of the September 2014 floods that ravaged Government Hospitals and Health Centers. “The fact that healthcare is suffering in flood affected areas because money hasn’t been provided to repair the damaged machines and infrastructure at hospitals and health centers is an indictment of the failure of both the State and the Central Governments”, the NC Working President said while reviewing the functioning of the Health Sector in Beerwah during review meetings at the Zonal Medical Office, Narbal and Block Medical Office, Magam during a tour of his constituency today.
“A year after the floods and six months into the present PDP-BJP Government’s tenure, the condition of our hospitals and health centers indicates the indifference of the State Government and the Central Government towards the very basic areas of governance in Jammu and Kashmir. Our hospitals and health centers were ravaged with diagnostic equipment and machines rendered useless when floods swept through the State in September last year. This should have been the first priority of the PDP-BJP Government as primary healthcare is perhaps the most important responsibility of the Administration. Sadly however the Government seems to have forgotten about the Health Sector”, the NC Working President said during his tour today.At Zonal Medical Office Narbal, Omar Abdullah announced the release of five lakh rupees for construction of pit for bio-medical waste, purchase of emergency medicines, repair of dental unit, purchase of gas heaters and lighting gas, purchase of BP apparatuses and stethoscopes and purchase of delivery sets and dressing sets. MLA Beerwah also announced that he would take up the earth-filing of hospital ground and macadamization of approach road to the Primary Health Center with concerned authorities.
During his review meeting at the Block Medical Office Beerwah, Omar Abdullah announced the release of a further ten lakhs for purchase of ambulance, lab equipment, purchase of emergency medicines and required RBSK kit. The NC Working President and MLA Beerwah also announced the release of additional forty-five thousand rupees for purchase of oxygen concentrator for Primary Health Center (PHC), Makhama.“These hospitals and primary health centers are suffering for want of BP apparatuses, stethoscopes and delivery sets – the very basic equipment that is required to dispense basic health services in these areas. While the State Government might be busy in its photo-shoots and fabricated press statements the reality on the ground is beyond shocking. There is no sign of a Government and no semblance of governance in the State. I have sanctioned money for the procurement of basic equipment for these hospitals and health centers in Beerwah today but unfortunately it seems like healthcare will continue to suffer in the State because of the Government’s indifference - which is very sad”, Omar Abdullah said. (CNS)