"Doctors complain of lack of infrastructure, space and hygiene"
Srinagar October 25 (KNS): The Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) as first line of healthcare infrastructure are proving game changers in North Kashmir.
The Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) are envisioned as vibrant primary healthcare in rural as well as urban areas, a mission to operationalize a network by transforming sub health centres (SHCs) and primary health centres into Health wellness centrs (HWC-SC) to cater patients at grass root level to provide comprehensive health care services under 12 CPHC components of Ayushmaan Bharat World’s largest Health Scheme).
Over the years of their existence in the North Kashmir, the centers has brought phenomenal changes, particularly in rural areas, where primary healthcare has been always been a distant dream.
Health wellness centers initially kick-started by PM Narendra Modi in 2018 with a vast purpose, and the health initiative bearing fruits over to the expectations of the people.
Health and wellness centres are aimed to detect lethal and life consuming Non communicable disease at grass root level like diabetes, hypertension, oral cancer, breast cancer etc, and more importantly the centers has lessened the burden of patient footfall at district and sub district hospitals.
The focused attention of health and wellness centers is to screen and prevent disease at the very beginning stage and discourage the youth from adopting sedentary life style. Thousands of people are screened monthly for hypertension and diabetes in the districts of North Kashmir at these centers.
The Kashmir News Service (KNS) has accessed the performance of few health wellness centers in North Kashmir, where patients are satisfied with the health services.
In the medical block Langate of district Kupwara, the centers based in Renen, Kachloo and Phorupeth villages have received OPD footfall of 5000 patients in last 5 months. The centers have screened more than 3000 people and simultaneously have provided immunization to 200 others.
The two health and wellness centers in Baramulla, HWC-SC, one in Hatlango Sopore and other in Jhama Baramulla has recorded OPD footfall of 3000 in last 5 months, and also have screened around 2500 people.
Similarly the Health and Wellness centers located close to Line Of Control in Kupwara like Shallora Kralpopra and Waterkhani Kupwara have also attended 4500 patients and have screened around 900 people for Diabetes, Hypertension and cancer in last five months.
The CHO’s posted in centers are carrying screening on regular bases for the prevention of lethal non communicable disease like diabetes , hypertension and the suspected ones are being referred to nearby Primary health centre’s and community health centre’s for proper treatment.
The centers also carry Antennal check-ups of pregnant women’s to rule out any emergency at its earliest.
Tele Consultation services available at Health wellness centres is one the major feat achieved by UT of Jammu and Kashmir in which the rural people can talk to doctors of tertiary care hospitals by visiting nearby health wellness centres and get prescription and advise of high quality.
However some of the doctors complained of lack of infrastructure, space and hygiene.
According to government guidelines each CHC should have at least 3 rooms, comprising Yoga room, OPD and immunization room, but several centers are operating in single room.
In north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, around ninety centers are operating from rented buildings, seventy five are under repair or renovation.
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 one that gives them eight thousand per month remuneration.
Talking to MD NHM Mission Director National Health Mission J&K, Ayushi Sudan, said, " We are happy to see the work of our CHO’s at grassroot level. We always want people to appreciate and encourage the work of our health workers."(KNS)