Pattan, May 19, CNS: Traders community from North Kashmir’s Pattan townThursday blocked Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for hours after Minister of State for Health Aasiya Naqash according to them rebuked a trader when he tried to oppose the Minister’s order to get the Sub-District Hospital shifted to Trauma Hospital Pattan.
Eyewitnesses told CNS that MoS Health Aasiya Naqash was aghast to see the Sub-District Hospital Pattan in pathetic condition. She immediately ordered the authorities to get the hospital shifted to Trauma hospital, half a kilometer away from the SDH Pattan. “We have spent crores on the construction of new Trauma hospital and shifting of this SDH will be in the interest of the people,” Naqash told officials present outside the hospital.
Eyewitnesses said that a trader whom they identified as Abdul Rashid Bhat opposed the idea of shifting and confronted Minister requesting her to revisit her decision. “Don’t you renovate your own house? Don’t you keep your house in order? I am doing the same. We have constructed Trauma Hospital for the people and this SDH will be shifted there for sake of people,” eyewitnesses quoted Minister saying to the trader.
The traders community didn’t take the remarks of the Minister in good taste and blocked the road for three hours, thus causing great inconvenience to the commuters and people. Even after the repeated requests from the police and civil administration, the protesting traders did not relent. It was only after the intervention of local legislator and incumbent Minister Imran Raza Ansari, traders dispersed with the assurance that he will himself talk to the MoS Health.
Aasiya Naqash told CNS that she didn’t rebuke anyone and was only trying to make her point. “Can you call a one storey hut devoid of infrastructure and facilities a sub district hospital. What’s wrong if we shift SDH to a newly constructed spacious building called Trauma Hospital,” she said. (CNS)