Kupwara, Sep 18: Healthcare services have been severely hit in this frontier district as 1,270 National Health Mission (NHM) employees working in the district remain on strike along with NHM employees across Jammu and Kashmir.
Pertinently, NHM employees have been on strike since September 9 in support of their long-pending demands, including regularisation of services, pay parity, job security, revision of remuneration, retirement benefits and social security measures.
Of all 1,270 NHM employees working in different medical zones of Kupwara, 365 are doctors, 840 are paramedical and other staff, while 65 employees are handling management.
The absence of NHM staff has particularly affected healthcare services in rural and border areas, where several health centres depend significantly on NHM employees. Locals said some health centres have remained closed while services at others have been disrupted.
“People from villages and border areas depend on these health centres for basic treatment, medicines and other services. Since the NHM staff are on strike, patients are being forced to travel long distances for treatment,” said Mohammad Abas, a resident of Lolab.
Another resident, who identified himself as Nasir Ahmar from Lalpora, said patients requiring regular medical care were facing considerable inconvenience. “Poor families and elderly patients are finding it difficult to travel repeatedly to district hospitals. The issue should be resolved at the earliest so that patients do not continue to suffer,” he added.
The strike has also increased the workload on available staff at functioning healthcare institutions, while authorities are making arrangements to maintain essential patient-care services with the available manpower.
Residents have urged the government and NHM employees to resolve the matter through dialogue and ensure uninterrupted healthcare services, particularly in remote and border areas.
