Kupwara, Nov 18: Residents of Machil sector in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district are demanding urgent action from authorities over the decades-long absence of a gynaecologist at the Primary Health Centre in Duddi, a situation they say has cost lives and left pregnant women vulnerable in one of the Valley’s most remote areas.
The snowbound sector, located more than 50 kilometres from Kupwara district headquarters, remains cut off for days during heavy winter snowfall, forcing residents to undertake perilous journeys for basic maternal healthcare.
“During heavy snowfall, traffic on the Kupwara-Machil road remains suspended for several days. Pregnant women bear the brunt of this isolation,” said Habibullah, a resident.
He described emergency evacuations during winter when residents must carry pregnant women on their shoulders for over 20 kilometres to reach Zamindar Gali (Z-Gali), from where they can board transport to Kupwara.
“Several pregnant women have lost their lives for want of timely treatment, yet authorities have not deputed a specialised gynaecologist here,” said Jamal Din, another resident. He added that young unmarried women in the area cannot access care for gynaecological conditions due to the absence of specialised medical staff throughout the entire Machil sector.
Despite repeated appeals to authorities—including requests for a gynaecologist to visit even twice weekly—residents say their pleas have gone unheeded.
“We have moved from pillar to post to get our genuine demand fulfilled, but nothing has been done. We have lost hope,” residents said collectively.
The inhabitants have now appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Health Minister Sakina Itoo for immediate intervention to address the healthcare crisis affecting maternal and women’s health in the remote sector.
