Tangmarg: Residents of Warpora village in Tangmarg area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district are up in arms over the lack of basic healthcare facilities at the New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) Warpora, which continues to function without a doctor or ambulance services.
Upgraded from a sub-centre to an NTPHC in 2014, the health facility was expected to ease the medical burden of Warpora and its adjoining villages, including Ziran, Batoo, Budipora, Fajipora, Mullabangil, Hajibal, and Waniloo. However, locals say the centre has been reduced to a token institution, running only with the help of a pharmacist and two multipurpose health workers.
“The facility exists only in name. There is no doctor, no laboratory, and no ambulance. Patients are forced to travel several kilometers to Sub-District Hospital Tangmarg even for minor ailments,” said Abdul Rashid, a resident of Warpora.
Locals allege that despite repeated pleas to the health department and elected representatives, no concrete steps have been taken to post a doctor or provide ambulance services at the centre.
They further pointed out that the absence of healthcare facilities in the area has hit poor patients the hardest, as many cannot afford repeated travel to Tangmarg or Srinagar for treatment.
Residents have once again appealed to the Health Department and district administration to immediately address the issue and ensure the posting of a full-time doctor, along with ambulance and laboratory facilities, at NTPHC Warpora so that basic healthcare becomes accessible to people at their doorstep.
