Residents concerned about inadequate healthcare services in Shopian’s village
Srinagar: The residents of Watchi village in Shopian district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have expressed concern over the inadequate healthcare services at the New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC), saying it continues to remain without basic diagnostic equipment and suffers from a shortage of medical staff.
According to Kashmir Media Service, locals said, the centre was upgraded from a sub-centre to an NTPHC several years ago, and a new building was inaugurated in January 2020. However, despite this upgrade, the institution has failed to cater to the needs of the population.
They said the absence of testing facilities such as routine blood tests, urine analysis, and other basic diagnostics has made the centre almost non-functional for common patients.
“Only immunisation is being done here. Even for minor illnesses, patients are forced to travel to Zainapora or Shopian,” said Shabir Ahmad, a resident. “This becomes a big burden, especially for poor families who have to spend both time and money just to get basic tests done,” he added.
