Where pregnancy is a bane, not a boon

The lone hospital is ill-equipped to handle any delivery case. The bedsheets have never been changed ever since the hospital was opened way back in 1963. The only X-ray machine has rusted following non-availability of an operator.

Absurd as it seems, a single lady doctor is there to cater to the needs of some 65 villages with a population of more than one lakh. Lack of medicines, inadequate facilities and shortage of staff nullify all chances of a patient having a safe delivery.

Instances of death during pregnancy are replete in the area. Being a referral hospital, patients are often told to seek services of the Reasi or Udhampur Hospital, which are again more than 50 kms away. The distance is not much but absence of a motorable road is a major cause of anxiety for the villagers.

Most of the time the villagers from higher reaches have to carry the patients on their back and trek several kilometers to reach Reasi hospital. “The lucky one reach hospital for treatment while many others succumb on their way,” said A R Wani, a resident of Mahore town.

Abdul Gaffar, 58, resident of Sarh village in Mahore tehsil is yet to come to terms with losing his pregnant daughter during the last monsoon. “My Gulon (daughter’s name) was screaming with pain when the doctor here referred her to the Reasi Hospital. I had no option but to take her in an overloaded GREF tipper as buses and other vehicles always fail to ply on this road.”

Unfortunately Gaffar’s daughter died in pain during the transit due to jerks she received because of boulders and other ditches formed due to continuous landslides.

“Till date I have not shown my face to my daughter’s in-laws, fearing that they will blame her death on me as I called her to my place, he added.

Captain Dr Vasundhara of Mahore Brigade said she realised the problems faced by the people only when the brigade organised free medical camps in the area. “Due to inadequate facilities most of them could not even treat minor ailments like gastritis,” Captain Vasundhara informed. Primary health centres at several villages are lying defunct as doctors are unable to reach there.

The widening of the roads was the main issue the villagers from Mahore tehsil put forth before officers of the Mahore Brigade, when they took over the area from BSF earlier this year. “Our men are doing round-the-clock work not only to widen the road but to keep it open through in all seasons,” said Brigadier D S Atri incharge Mahore Brigade.

Many a times the militants tried to stop construction work on these Pir Panchal Roads by firing heavy volley of shots on the dozers operating in the area. “Despite this our men continued working and it is because of this you are here by Tata Sumo,” boasted Major G M Khan of Field Company Engineers involved in maintenance of this road.

“This is not just a road, but our life line. When this was closed even the administration had closed their eyes for us. Once army opened the road they too have started visiting here,” said another villager from Thillu.

Earlier the dilapidated condition and skeletal bus service in absence of any conveyance has led many pregnant women to deliver either inside the vehicles or on roads.

The village elders say that on such occasions they don’t know what to do. Whether to celebrate the birth of the baby or weep over the plight of their daughters.

But with road open they no more have to face such embarrassing situation.