Anantnag, Jan 17 (KNO): The Primary Health Centre (PHC) Gadool in Anantnag lacks permanent staff and operates out of a shop for years.
Locals told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that nine years ago, the PHC was shifted from a rented accommodation in a residential house and started functioning from a small shop after which a new building was sanctioned for the centre.
"However, even after nine years, the new sanctioned building is nowhere near completion," they said, adding that the centre continues to function from a small shop and that too without permanent staff.
"Not even a basic diagnosis is being carried here as a doctor from a nearby centre visit only twice here," said a local Hilal Ahmad.
"The rest of the employees don't have a place to sit to perform their duties,” he added.
Locals said that a new building for PHC is being constructed, but is far from completion and people of the area continue to suffer.
"We have been repeatedly informing authorities about our plights but nobody takes our pleas seriously," they said.
The locals have requested higher-ups to look into the matter and provide health care facilities to the area which consists of over 15,000 people.
Block Medical Officer Larnoo Dr Zahoor Ahmad told KNO that no staff has been sanctioned for PHC and it is being run on an interim arrangement.
“We will convey the concerned authorities for early completion of the new building so that PHC can function there and people of the area won't suffer. We are expecting that the health centre will be shifted to a new building soon after which the government will sanction posts as well,” he added—(KNO)