Villages in Dessa sans basic health facilities

Ranjit Thakur

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Jammu, July 8

People of Dessa in Doda district are deprived of basic health facilities, even after almost 72 years of Independence.

Dessa is located around 40 km from the district headquarters. Most of the villages in the area are yet to be connected with motorable roads or electricity, forcing villagers to trek miles to shift critically ill patients to hospitals on makeshift stretchers.

“Few days ago, Hari Singh (70) of Malan had a severe heart attack around 9 pm. We tried to arrange a doctor at the sub-centre but failed. Later, we covered a distance of 8 km by foot to shift the patient to Gai on a makeshift stretcher,” Narayan Thakur, a resident, said.

“We have few ill-equipped Ayurvedic dispensaries and medical sub-centres in our area. Most of them are defunct, with hardly any staff, medicines or doctors. We have only one doctor for such a huge population,” Vijay Mohan, another local, claimed.

“There are 10,000 people in Dessa. We urge the government to provide us medical staff in all these centres and also start a few new centres in Nagri Dessa, Akhwan-Saras and Laloor, to end the hardships of residents,” Mohan added.

Sheinkly, Manjmi, Laloor, Gurkhan, Kunda, Gramdi, Saras, Gorkund, Chanderbatan, Thana and Mushal hamlets of Dessa have no connectivity, electricity or health facilities.

“Doctors are highly qualified and not ready to work in rural areas due to lack of infrastructure. There is 50 to 60 per cent shortage of doctors. Until the government looks into this matter seriously, the problem cannot be resolved,” a senior citizen of Doda said.

Dr Fareed Bhut, Ghat Block Medical Officer, said “We have only one doctor for Dessa, deputed temporarily from Bhagwah. All the four posts of doctors are vacant here. Not only Dessa, almost all areas are facing similar problems. Even the district hospital here has no radiologist and dermatologist.”

Doda Deputy Commissioner Sagar D Doifode said, “We have a dearth of doctors and generally receive such complaints from different areas. We are trying to resolve their issues. During the ‘Back to Village’ programme, we had noted down all these demands and will try to resolve them.”