Kupwara: The residents of Kupwara have expressed resentment against the authorities for failing to construct a separate eye ward along with an operation theatre (OT) at Sub District Hospital (SDH) Kupwara even after the approval of the central government.
In 2019, the central government approved the construction of a ten-bedded eye ward along with an OT at SDH Kupwara with a cost of Rs 50 lakh.
Later the then Director Health Services Kashmir authorised the Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board Jammu and Srinagar vide Letter No DHSK/plg/2018-2019/NPCB dated March 7, 2019 to take up the construction work.
According to the official communiqué, the construction work was to be completed within eight months but after the passage of over two years, no development could be seen on the ground.
“After the Director Health Services Kashmir authorised the J&K Housing Board to take up the work, some construction material was dumped in the premises of SDH Kupwara but due to reasons unknown, the construction is yet to start,” a civil society member of Kupwara Malik Irfan said.
“After successive representations to each government, a super specialty eye ward was sanctioned for the poor people of Kupwara but it seems that the concerned authorities have made their mind to shift it to some other place in Kashmir,” he said.
The residents said that they were unable to figure out why the J&K Housing Board had not taken up the construction work even if the payment had already been approved.
Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather told Greater Kashmir that he would look into the matter on why construction work on the separate 10-bedded eye ward at SDH Kupwara had not been started.