1. Home
2. Jammu

Baba Siar incident

Subodh Bhasin. Dated: 7/17/2018 11:21:31 AM

Lack of proper healthcare facilities at Reasi DH resulted into more casualties

Subodh Bhasin
Jammu, July 16
Access to healthcare services is critical to good health, yet there were several instances when rural residents face a variety of access barriers. It is not only that the rural areas people fall prey to the bad health care facilities but several times the tourist also face difficult situation in case of any mishap due to dearth in proper health care at several places.
The recent incident in which seven persons were killed and 31 injured when a boulder fell on devotees taking a bath at the 100-foot-high Sihar Baba waterfall in Talwara area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday, and after that insufficient heath care or lack of enough number of ambulances have raised serious questions about the health care facilities being provided to the people. In absence of proper incident and protest by the locals at Reasi hospital forced the authorities to intervene and there after injured were shifted to a super-specialty hospital in Kakryal after administering first aid at the district hospital.
Are district hospitals are meant for providing first and afterward patients have to shift some other hospitals for want to better health care. Talking to Young Bites correspondent Reggie Batyal said that residents of Reasi often experience barriers to healthcare that limit their ability to obtain the care they need. In order for residents to have sufficient healthcare access, necessary and appropriate services must be available and obtainable in a timely manner. He further added that the recent incident is an eye opener and has shaken everyone. Although the authorities failed to provide necessary health facility in the nearby vicinity where incident occurred but astonishingly even Reasi hospital lack adequate infrastructure which forced the authorities to shift the injured to super-speciality hospital in Kakryal.
Another resident Rajesh Sharma said had there been enough ambulances and proper health facilities the injured could have been given proper treatment and at the earliest.
The particular incident in Reasi hospital completely shows a sorry state of affairs regarding health facilities in Reasi Hospital. The biggest challenge for the people is lack of basic health and other amenities and authorities should take effective steps in order to give better facilities.
The public health system is pitiable as majority of primary health centres (PHC) do not have adequate infrastructure, essential equipment and medicines and a sufficient number of doctors and paramedical staff.