Kupwara: Specially-abled people often in need of medical care in border town Machil of frontier Kupwara district have been left to live on with pain due to unavailability of a physiotherapist and other necessary medical services in the town.
The border town, which remains cut off from rest of Valley, for nearly six months due to heavy snowfall during winters is around 65 Kms from Kupwara district headquarters.
“Such patients are often referred to Kupwara for physiotherapy and other necessary medical treatment. The health facility in this border town is devoid of Physiotherapist, other necessary medical equipments and even medical specialists too,” Mohd. Sultan, Sarpanch Pushwari, told
“Patients in need of physiotherapy treatment are the worst sufferers. They have to endure pain for weeks before they are able to reach out to the medical specialist or physiotherapist,” he added.
The speacially-abled patients are carried for miles on strecher before being ferried to Kupwara hospital for treatment during winters, rued Sultan.
Ab Wahab, a resident of Dapal, echoed Sultan’s assertions.
“Not only speacially-abled, a patient, who may have suffered a stroke or a paralysed patient also needs to be carried on shoulders for miles before being ferried to Kupwara hospital. The road remains blocked due to heavy snowfall for months, which makes the matters even worse” he said.
The locals appealed Lt. Governor J&K and Deputy Commissioner Kupwara to strengthen the medical facilities in the border town and post Physiotherapist and medical specialist at local health facility the earliest.
