The construction work of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the Gundipora village at the Beerwah Tehsil stopped in 2014 and it hasn’t been completed yet in the last 11 years. Due to this, the people of Gundipora as well as its surrounding areas said that they are facing a lot of issues.
Younis Ahmad Mir, a resident of Gundipora, said that the government has provided the funds for the construction of the new building and its construction started in 2010. “However, in 2014, the construction work of the PHC stopped. Since then, the work has not been completed. This has directly impacted the patients who are fully dependent upon this health centre,” Mir said.
He said that there are nearly 16 villages that are fully dependent on this particular PHC, including Gundipora, Attina, Hayatpora, Narwarah, Otligam, Dansera, Ranipora, Charangam and other villages that have a population of more than 20,000. Mir said:
“There is a huge flow of the patients who visit the health centre on daily basis. We did not have any problem with the staff. We are demanding the government to complete the pending work of the health centre so that the health centre can be shifted to the new building and patients can breathe a sigh of relief.”
Farooq Ahmad Wani, another resident of Gundipora, said that the health centre is a two-storey building and most of the work on the first floor is complete. However, the second storey of the building is incomplete. He said:
“The second storey of the building does not have doors or windows. Birds have started living there.”
He said that the old building where the Primary Health Centre is functional did not have proper facilities and space for the patients as well as staff members, due to which the patients are facing a lot of problems in the area. He added:
“We have already approached the concerned officials from time to time regarding this issue. But unfortunately, the work of the health centre has not been completed yet. Once that is done, people would be able to avail services through this facility in the village.”
The locals said that the building has come under a languishing project and that is the reason the work of the health centre has not been completed yet. The locals have also requested Lieutenant Government Manoj Sinha, Deputy Commissioner of Budgam and Director Health Service of Kashmir to look into the matter and take necessary steps regarding this health centre.
An official from the health department from the Beerwah said that once the funds are released for this project, construction work will begin on an immediate basis.