Lack of maternity hospital forces Kupwara patients to travel long distances

Kupwara, Jan 12: Residents of the frontier district of Kupwara have appealed to the Omar Abdullah–led government to establish a dedicated maternity and child care hospital at the district headquarters, saying the absence of such a facility forces pregnant women and newborns to travel long distances for specialised care.

Locals said the proposed hospital would bring much-needed relief to people from remote and snowbound areas such as Machil, Keran, Tanghdar, Jumagund, Budnamal, Kumkadi and other far-flung villages, which remain cut off during harsh winter months.

Civil Society Convener Kupwara, Showkat Masoodi, said the lack of specialised maternal healthcare at the district level results in frequent referrals of high-risk pregnancies to Government Medical College Baramulla or LD Hospital Srinagar. “This not only increases health risks but also imposes a heavy financial burden on families. We raised this genuine demand during our meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and are hopeful it will be addressed during his tenure,” he said.

A medical practitioner echoed the concern, stating that the establishment of a maternity and child care hospital would significantly reduce referral rates. He said travel from Kupwara to Srinagar is exhausting and risky for pregnant women, with ambulances often delayed due to traffic congestion, while even reaching GMC Baramulla can be difficult. “Most patients who rely on government hospitals cannot afford repeated travel expenses. This facility is the need of the hour,” he said.

Residents also pointed out that adequate government land is available at the district headquarters, which could facilitate the establishment of the hospital without major hurdles.

They said the demand has been raised for several decades, but successive governments have failed to act. The residents have now renewed their appeal to MLA Kupwara Mir Fayaz and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take an early decision on the long-pending issue so that people of this frontier district can finally get relief and access to safe maternal and child healthcare.