Srinagar, Oct 07 (KNS): The absence of Community Health Officers (CHO's) in the Health Wellness Center-sub center (HWC-SC) across the North Kashmir is hitting the patient care badly.
Locals told Kashmir News Service (KNS) said that the CHO' who are recruited under cross district recruitment process to provide comprehensive primary health care services under 12 CPHC components of Ayushmaan Bharat World’s largest Health Scheme) are playing hide and seek in their duties, thus hitting the patient care badly.
They added that the CHO’s posted in HWC-SC centers are not regular to their duties and attend the health canters twice or thrice in a week.
"We are being fed up by the absence of the CHO's and several times the matter was raised before the higher authorities but nothing positive has happened on ground so far," local said.
In district Kupwara there are around 220 HWC-SC centers, among these 186 have been filled up, rest are without CHO's.
In 186 centers, maximum are occupied by CHO's who are recruited under cross divisional merit and most of them from other than north Kashmir districts.
Centers falls in north Kashmir are expected to cater patients in rural areas for primary health care and strengthen the healthcare at village level.
However some of the doctors complained of lack of infrastructure, space and hygiene. According to government guidelines each SWC-SC should have at least 3 rooms, comprising Yoga room, OPD and immunization room, but several centers are operating in single room.
Furthermore, the performance based incentives for 12 CPHC components which are nearly 15 thousand per month given in all states and UTs of India, but the J&K is only giving eight thousand per month and that too is not getting released monthly in the respective districts of kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla. It is sheer violation of government orders issued by ministry of family and health welfare.
Talking to KNS Mission Director National Health Mission J&K, Ayushi Sudan, said that she will look into the complaint and if anyone found guilty action would be initiated, she added.(KNS)