Expert exposes stark gaps in Gurdaspur dist’s rural health infra

Dhariwal-based surgeon Dr KJ Singh is a pioneer on the study of health facilities in rural Gurdaspur. He runs the KJ Hospital and has been working assiduously among the masses in rural areas, catering to their health needs. For them, “the first wealth is health,” he says, adding that, “The future of a country is reflected from the health of citizens and the subsequent success of its rural masses.” He agrees that drugs are a major problem in these areas and the challenge lies in taking them head-on. He does not believe that seminars, painting and quiz competitions, among other things, is an antidote to drugs.

He has received several letters of appreciation from the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC).

He speaks to Ravi Dhaliwal on a galaxy of issues pertaining to health in rural areas.

In my opinion, clean water and access to nutritious food are the basic necessities of life. However, in rural areas these are two of the hardest to find. Factors like limited resources and socio-economic factors, leading to higher rates of chronic diseases and poor overall health, are only some of the challenges we face in the villages of this border district.

The first problem people face in villages is a lack of decent health facilities. Gurdaspur district is no exception. It is a well-known fact that health care facilities are concentrated and confined to cities. City folks can go to good hospitals, diagnostic centres and pathological laboratories where patients can get their maladies treated. There are several chemist shops in which various types of medicines are available. All this is absent in rural Gurdaspur.

Insurance policies are mostly targeted towards the middle class, living in the cities, who can afford the high premium these products carry. In villages no such facilities are available.

The situation gets all the more grim in villages in the vicinity of the International Border (IB). Poor villagers cannot afford to go to a private hospital or clinic for treatment. These are just beyond their reach. Our hospital has been holding health camps to mitigate the suffering of the villagers living near the IB. Sometimes I think these villagers are not living, they are just existing.

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), launched in April, 2005, has come as a breath of fresh air. Its main aim is to provide accessible, affordable, accountable, effective and reliable public health care facilities, especially to the poor and vulnerable sections of society. I can understand the plight of the rural masses because my hospital itself is located in a village named Fateh Nangal.

My NGO, Voice of Dhariwal, has been working in rural areas. We will continue to work more vigorously. I think the situation can improve if more hospitals are opened in rural areas. There should be at least one medium sized hospital with 50 beds within a radius of five kilometres. Insurance companies, too, should be asked to cater to the needs of villagers and offer low premium insurance policies.

I am one of the founding members of the AAP and am aiming to get a ticket from any of the seven seats in the district. I want to become an MLA so that I have a hand in launching new health schemes for people in rural areas.