Epidemic and rural healthcare

The aftermath of continuous rain fall across the region has exposed the tall claims of state government regarding quality of life and health care facilities in the rural Jammu and Kashmir. While the outbreak of diarrhea in mountainous Doda and Ramban districts has created panic among the general masses, unfortunately the officials at the helm of affairs does not seem to be much moved with the epidemic. At least this is true with Director Health Service Jammu, who told a newspaper that the situation was well under control in Doda and there was nothing to panic. The director was either misinformed or has not bothered to go into the gravity of the situation. He was infact too late to arrive in Doda that too under strict security arrangements making it sure that he may not face the anger of the general masses. The spread of epidemic especially the water born diseases in the far off areas of the state, especially the mountainous Chenab Valley, was not a new phenomenon. The Valley has faced similar problems in the past. However, each time the response of the government and its functionaries at the gross root level seems to be too similar and too late. The epidemic has once again highlighted the need to have adequate Medicare infrastructure available in the far off areas. Doda district hospital has a shortage of 21 doctors and so is the situation in Kishtwar and Ramban district hospitals, where the number of doctors is too little to meet any such eventuality. The government must not only improve the infrastructure but it must also ensure that the benefit actually reaches to the people. The central government sponsored National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is the golden programme for the state and must be implemented in its true sprit if the government was really sincere to improve the health care facilities in the rural Jammu and Kashmir