Anantnag, Dec 13 (KNO): Over seven years since its construction began, a health and wellness centre in the Dadoo area of Bijbehara in south Kashmir's Anantnag district remains incomplete. The abandoned building is now being used to store fodder for animals, leaving residents in distress over the lack of healthcare facilities in the area.
Residents of Dadoo told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the construction of the health and wellness centre began seven years ago, but the building is yet to be completed.
Meanwhile, the centre, which was previously functioning in rented accommodation, has been shifted to another area for reasons unknown.
“In the absence of a local health facility, we are forced to visit hospitals far from our area,” said Mohammad Abbas, a resident of Dadoo. He added, “The government should either dismantle the incomplete structure or complete it and make it functional immediately. We feel insecure visiting distant hospitals due to the presence of wild animals.”
Locals also expressed concern over the difficulties faced by women and children in travelling to other hospitals, particularly without male escorts, due to the threat posed by wild animals and stray dogs.
“If the health centre in Dadoo was functional, residents wouldn’t need to visit far-off hospitals for even minor ailments,” they said.
The abandoned building has also become a hub for anti-social activities, locals claimed. “Youth from nearby areas use the building every evening for drug consumption and other unlawful activities,” they alleged, urging the authorities to take immediate action.
Currently, some locals are using the incomplete structure to store fodder for their animals. Residents lament that the lack of a functional healthcare facility is consuming their time and money, as they are forced to travel long distances for medical needs.
The locals appealed to the authorities to expedite the completion of the building and equip it with modern facilities to end their suffering. “We have raised this issue with higher-ups multiple times, but our pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears,” they said.
The residents have requested the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Anantnag and other concerned officials to look into the matter urgently and ensure that the health centre becomes operational at the earliest—(KNO)