As per reliable sources, Jagati Hospital located in Jagati Camp for displaced Kashmiri Pandit community has been upgraded to sub district hospital with all the facilities given to health care infrastructure of such nature.
While talking to Epilogue Sh Ajay Bharati said, “We had a meeting with Commissioner Secretary, Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation who appraised us that the decision to upgrade the Hospital has been finally taken by Health department.
Needless to say that till date the only health care infra available to nearly 25 thousand displaced Kashmiri Pandits living in Jagati camp was suffering from the apathy of Health department due to its sheer negligence and step motherly treatment.
While talking to MLC Sh Surender Ambardar over the issue who said, “The basic confusion over this healthcare infrastructure available in Jagati was its owning, adding the Hospital was toggling between Relief department and Health department with both the organizations of Government disowning it.” He further said, “It is the confusion whether the hospital is run by Relief organization or Health department which has stalled all the development work of the hospital and eventually led to abject suffering of displaced community living in Jagati Camp.
He further appraised that there is an inquiry pending about release of funds to Health department by Relief organization for purchase of machinery and equipment for Jagati Hopsital even before the hospital was built in Jagati.
Sh Surender Ambardar said, “This hospital has been catering to all the peripheral areas of Jagati Camp including the displaced community living in Jagati and we will make sure with this upgrading the hospital performs its functions in a much proper manner.”
Replying to a question over scarcity of funds, he added that funds for the hospital will never been a issue considering Health department will allocate funds from the available resources, however we will also check the scope of funds through security related expenses if the health approaches.
Member of Legislative Council Sh Ajay Bharati had recently expressed the ordeal he had to face in streamlining the functioning of this hospital in a conclave organized by Epilogue on 31st of March this year.
He added that scores of other issues affecting the displaced community were raised and discussed which include RBA certificates, Transit Accommodation for PM Package Employees, implementation of Social welfare schemes for displaced community and other allied issues were discussed thread bare and consensus arrived at most of the issues. The announcement to the effect in terms of a notification will be rolled out soon by the concerned department.
Referring to challenges he as an MLC had to face at the hands of bureaucracy he gave an example of how the bureaucratic hassles stopped the progress of arranging medical staff for displaced community in Jagati Hospital and how he as a member of Legislative Council had to make repeated representations to get the job done.
Living in perpetual exile for last 30 years with least or no healthcare infrastructure in camps has been a great nighmare for this community. The community living in various camps in and around Jammu city was shifted in two room tenements in Jagati which is around 20 kms away from city. This move of the government lacked sentiment considering there was least or no healthcare facility available in this township and the patients had to travel to Jammu in very serious conditions.
With nearly 5 thousand households which makes it around 25 thousand souls putting up in Jagati township without basic health support system has always been a torment and agony for this exiled community.
