Srinagar, Mar 22 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir government said the Primary Health Centre (PHC) Litter in south Kashmir's Pulwama district does not qualify for upgradation to the level of a Community Health Center (CHC).
Responding to a query from MLA Gh Mohiuddin Mir, Health and Medical Education Department Minister Sakina Itoo, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the upgradation of any health facility involves multiple factors, including infrastructure development, population size, human resource augmentation, machinery and equipment availability and the distance from existing nearby higher-level health institutions. These factors are outlined in the IPHS-2022 norms and related circular instructions from the Finance Department issued periodically.
"Currently, PHC Litter serves a population of only 22,609, which is significantly below the IPHS threshold for CHC status. A CHC requires a population of 120,000 in plain areas and 80,000 in hilly or tribal regions; therefore, PHC Litter does not qualify for upgradation," Itoo said.
She added, "PHC Litter is fully functional with five doctors—three regular and two under the National Health Mission (NHM)—as well as nine paramedical staff, comprising five regular and four NHM personnel."
The minister said that PHC Litter is in close proximity to higher-level health facilities, including CHC Zainapora (5 km away), SDH Bijbhara (10 km), Trauma Hospital Bijbhara (10 km), and District Hospital Pulwama (16 km). These facilities provide adequate referral linkages, ensuring patient access to higher-level care.
"As of now, J&K is focusing on consolidating its existing health facilities, as there are approximately 4,000 health institutes at various levels—primary, secondary, and tertiary—in the region. To address critical gaps, the department aims to strengthen existing healthcare services in accordance with IPHS 2022 norms, while also enhancing support for the community by rationalizing services and developing robust e-Sanjeevani and telemedicine facilities through a well-designed hub-and-spoke model," she added—(KNO)