Govt should upgrade the health centre, sanction posts and allocate funds on its golden jubilee
Fifty years down memory lane, it was 1973 when the health centre Dangiwacha was inaugurated after hectic efforts of people because it was difficult for economically and socially weak people to arrange the feasible four rooms for a health centre and night stay accommodation for a doctor and compounder, Hopelessly, when the team of officers and doctors returned to seek lodging elsewhere, people were disappointed. Gauging the gravity and dismay of the public, one kind and generous soul Haji Wali Joo offered a house without any condition and rent which rekindled the hope of patients who would otherwise visit Baramulla by foot on average 40 km. Since then this hospital has catered to basic healthcare facilities round the clock as doctors and paramedics used to serve here from far-off areas, as a result, they remained available here also for night. Fortunately, my many contemporaries got birth at the same hospital which was very soon upgraded into PHC with a sprawling white-coloured building and two quarters for doctors and paramedics. A separate health block was carved from Baramulla for the whole of Rafiabad and Qaziabad.
The new building was constructed and specialized doctors and other medical practitioners were posted. The government focused on the healthcare of the people. Teams were brought to the hospital for healthcare. Medical camps, special surgeries and checkups were arranged as routine for underprivileged people in this area. As the population increased, so did the facilities at PHC. Many medical emergencies in the area were mitigated as many epidemics and diseases engulfed various pockets of this area and timely action and health care averted and saved precious lives. We owe a great deal to this PHC. The 50 years journey from PHC to CHC Dangiwacha that is 1973 to 2023 has seen many tumultuous and tough challenges in this area. But the series of brave doctors and their teams promptly reacted and helped this hospital to achieve top-notch in terms of healthcare services and awareness. Last year, this PHC achieved the top position in the ranking of the public health centre in Jammu and Kashmir
The remote areas of Rafiabad were connected by ambulance services in the late ’80s which increased the rush to this hospital. Apart from health services, this hospital under CSR caters to various benefits to ensure people a better quality of health and life in this backward area. The old building of PHC is a heritage building that needs to be protected by commissioning the mother and child hospital which has already been sanctioned for Rafiabad by the government.
In 2010, the government decided to upgrade this hospital to specialized health services for people. Initially, five consultant doctors were posted, especially a gynecologist, surgeon, and physician and an X-ray plant and other machines were installed now formally it became 24×7 and one-acre land was acquired by the health department. Subsequently, the work on the construction of a double-storey building was started which is not yet fully completed. But the irony of the fate is that despite essential services, the project remained languishing. This was a setback to the progress of the construction work. The proposal for the creation of various required posts of medical and paramedical staff for CHC could not be materialised till date nor was it formally upgraded to the level of CHC. The file awaits the nod from the administration. This has affected patient care here.
The four consultant posts have been vacant for long and also five posts of medical officers are lying vacant. Now, the government has shifted the hospital to a new building which needs immediate funds to complete various blocks like the operation theatre section, eye section, doctor’s quarters, pathology lab, etc. Moreover, the hospital needs more vital machines and medical devices and equipment for patient checkups. That is only possible when the government finalizes the up-gradation process and sanctions the posts and allocates sufficient funds. Deputy Commissioner Baramulla and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Baramulla have jointly started various pending works and both are actively monitoring the ongoing work, but the fund allocation is a prerogative of higher-ups We hope the government redresses the demand for up-gradation, sanctions posts and allocates funds for the interest of the general public as the healthcare care sector has remained the priority of the government and the hospitals are being developed to deliver high-quality services and healthcare to patients in the remote areas. This hospital is vital as around one lakh people depend on it. There is no alternative to it because the area lacks any private healthcare centre, and is almost 40 km away from the district headquarters, with rugged terrain.
It is anticipated that on the golden jubilee of this health centre, the demand for upgradation will be considered as the present administration has prioritised the rural and urban health sector through the development of infrastructure and human resources.
The writer can be reached at ir**********@***il.com