Bhatnoor Tral residents demand better facilities at Health Centre
Pulwama: The lack of basic healthcare facilities at the Batnoor health centre in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district has once again come under sharp criticism after a critically ill patient had to be carried on a charpoy from his home to the Batnoor bus stand amid heavy snowfall, before being shifted to the Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Tral, locals said.
According to locals, the incident occurred during snowfall when the patient required immediate medical attention. However, due to the absence of essential facilities, staff, and ambulance services at the Batnoor health centre, villagers were left with no option but to manually carry the patient over a long distance on a cot.
“This is not the first time such an incident has happened. Every winter we face the same situation. There is no ambulance, no doctor available round the clock, and no emergency care at the health centre,” said Ghulam Ahmad, a local resident.
Residents said the health centre exists only on paper and fails to serve its purpose during emergencies, especially in harsh weather conditions when roads become inaccessible.
“We are living in the 21st century, but our health centre has no basic infrastructure. When a patient suffers during snowfall or at night, we feel helpless. Carrying a sick person on a charpoy is painful and humiliating,” said Abdul Rashid, another local. Locals further alleged that despite repeated representations to the concerned authorities, no concrete steps have been taken to upgrade the facility.
“If this health centre was properly equipped with doctors, medicines and an ambulance, this patient would not have suffered so much. Authorities wake up only after such incidents come to light,” said Mohammad Yousuf, a resident of the area.
The incident has triggered renewed demands from the local population for immediate upgradation of the Batnoor health centre, including deployment of adequate medical staff, availability of emergency medicines, diagnostic facilities, and a functional ambulance.
Residents warned that if the authorities continue to ignore their pleas, more such incidents could occur in the future, putting lives at risk, particularly during winter months when access to hospitals becomes extremely difficult.
They have urged the Health Department and district administration to take urgent notice of the matter and ensure that basic healthcare services are made available to the people of Batnoor without further delay.
