Poonch, Jan 5: Joined by locals, family members and relatives of Farzana Kousar, who died due to the alleged negligence of doctors, staged a demonstration against health authorities and blocked Rajouri- Poonch road for about one and a half hour at Mendhar today. Police sources said a protest was staged by locals and relatives of Farzana Kousar, wife of Ibrar Ahmed of Harni, Mendhar, against health authorities, including DHS, Jammu, CMO, Poonch, and BMO, Mendhar.
The protestors shouted slogans against the health minister too, alleging that he had totally failed to streamline the health sector, especially in rural areas, sources added.
They also criticised the functioning of National Rural Health Mission ( NRHM), alleging that they had to pay hefty amounts from ambulance driver to paramedical staff while under this scheme rural people were supposed to be provided all medical facilities free of cost.
Sources said they called upon the government to suspend the ambulance driver who had charged Rs 500 from them initiate a departmental inquiry against them. District officers including tehsildar Mankote, Shehzad Khan, besides SHO Mendhar and incharge SDPO reached the spot and persuaded the protestors to lift the blockade. They assured them that their demands would be forwarded to the higher authorities. Talking to Early Times, Additional DC, Poonch, Shafeeq Ahmed said probe into the death of Farzana had been ordered vide No DMP/J/3158-62. The probe would be done by a team consiststing of Tehsildar Mankote, Naib tehsildar and Gynaecologit Dr Manzoor Hussain. The team was asked to submit its report within a week to DC, Poonch, he said. The statements of the relatives of deceased were also recorded before the magistrate at Mendhar. |
