Early Times Report
Jammu, June 17: Even as government claims that Sub-Health Centres (SHCs) are vital peripheral institutions for providing primary health care to the people and play an important role in the implementation of various health and family welfare programmes at the grass-root level, 50 pc of them were alleged to be without the facilities of potable water and electricity.
Sources in the department concerned informed Early Times that J&K 'has a total 2265 Sub-Health Centres, but none runs as per the guidelines of Indian Public Health Standard (IPHS) and more than 1200 are without regular water supply'. "At least 1013 are without electricity," the sources added.
SHC at Gandyal, Kathua, was upgraded as NTPHC in 2014-15 but till date the New Baby Care Corner had not been not established there. "The area is totally cut off from the district and located on the Punjab border adjacent to river Ravi. Due to the long distance, pregnant women prefer going to private practitioners in Punjab. However, the health institution has an average ANC seven per month and OPD load is 370," sources said.
SHC, Tapper, is also situated in virtually in an inaccessible area of Bani. In the absence of a motorable road, locals cover a distance of 15 km to reach there. "With a catchment population of 2428, there are average two deliveries per month at the SHC, ANC seven per month and OPD 527 per month, but the government has failed to provide a regular water and electricity supply to the health institute," sources alleged.
SHC, Doula, of Kathua, is too situated in a far-off Bani area. situated in accessible area of Bani. It too does not have any motorable road and people cover a distance of about 14 km to reach there. The institution is still running from a rented building. It has a catchment population of 1226 and average home deliveries two per month.
The state government had last year proposed to set up a New Baby Care Corner (NBCC) in each Sub-Health Centre at an estimated cost of Rs 0.85 lakh. These were to be equipped with one Paediatric Stethoscope, one Baby Scale, one Radiant Warmer, one oxygen hood, one largngoscope and endotracheal intubation tube and one mucus extractor, but till date no NBCC had been set up there. |
