Pangi Valley’s crippled healthcare services in need of major overhaul
Naresh Thakur
Chamba, July 4
Grappling with the shortage of specialist doctors, paramedical staff and critical equipment, the Pangi Valley’s healthcare services are in an urgent need of an overhaul.
The Killar Civil Hospital is the biggest health institution in the tribal and landlocked region, which caters to a population of around 25,000 from 55 surrounding villages.
Despite being upgraded to a 50-bed hospital in 2016 and nearing completion of a state-of-the-art five-storied building, the hospital’s operations are crippled by a lack of staff and machinery, said Trilok Thakur, chairman of Pangwal Ekta Manch, a forum of the local people.
New building of no use without staff
We have been struggling for years due to inadequate healthcare facilities. The new building of the hospital is a step forward, but without the necessary staff and equipment, it will be reduced to just a structure. —Prem Singh, Resident
He said the new building, which was built at a cost of Rs 18.38 crore and is slated for completion by October 2024, boasts modern amenities such as a ramp, elevator, parking, drug OPDs, indoor wards, a modern operation theatre, a tele-store, consultation/conferencing rooms, a laboratory, radiology department and a mortuary.
Yet, these advancements mean a little without the necessary personnel and equipment. Of the 12 sanctioned medical officer posts, only five are filled.
The hospital has just one specialist surgeon and four MBBS doctors. In critical situations, the specialist doctor has to play multiple roles, including that of a gynaecologist, radiologist and anaesthesiologist.
Additionally, the hospital lacks critical support staff such as operation theatre assistants and nurses.
The hospital also faces a dire shortage of essential equipment, including complete operation theatre setups, anaesthesia machines, ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI, and laboratory analysers etc.
“The immediate procurement of these items is crucial, for which the government can utilise funds from the National Health Mission (NHM) and the Tribal Development Budget,” said Thakur. “Besides, the Rs 14.95 crore released by NHPC Limited’s Duggar Hydroelectric Power Project under the Local Area Development Authority (LADA),” he added.
As per the tentative data, Killar Civil Hospital handles an average of 50,000 OPD cases, 10,000 indoor patients and around 300 deliveries annually. The nearest referral centres are miles away: 177 km to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College in Chamba (accessible only for three-four months during summer), 230 km to Kullu Regional Hospital, and 117 km to Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir. The treacherous terrain and harsh weather conditions make these journeys perilous, often resulting in fatalities before the patients can receive critical care.
“We have been struggling for years due to inadequate healthcare facilities. The new building of Killar Civil Hospital is a step forward surely, but without the necessary staff and equipment, it will be reduced to just a structure,” said Prem Singh a resident.
The Pangwal Ekta Manch has also written to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, pleading him for urgent intervention.
The current situation has already cost many lives, leaving families devastated and desperate. The government must act to make the hospital fully operational, and to ensure that specialised health services are available within the Pangi Valley, similar to the facilities in district hospitals of Leh and Kargil, said Thakur.
Without immediate steps to fill the vacant specialist positions and equip the hospital with the necessary medical machinery, the health and lives of thousands in the valley remain in grave danger, he added.
