No Radiographer at Jawali Hospital for Three Years; X-ray Machine Lying Idle

Oxygen plant also non-functional at Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar’s home constituency hospital

The 50-bed Civil Hospital in Jawali, located in Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar’s home constituency, has been functioning without a radiographer for the past three years, rendering a donated digital X-ray machine useless. The machine, gifted by a local philanthropist, now sits idle, forcing patients to turn to private laboratories for costly diagnostic tests.

Residents have expressed strong resentment, calling the government’s decision earlier this year to designate the hospital as an “Adarsh Swasthya Sansthan” (Model Health Institution) meaningless. The initiative was meant to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and ensure access to high-quality, comprehensive medical services at the community level.

Serving a population of over 1.5 lakh people in Kangra district’s Jawali constituency, the hospital still awaits the appointment of a radiographer by the State Health Department. While the facility has a surgeon, a gynecologist, and an ophthalmologist, a shortage of essential equipment and staff has reduced it to a referral center rather than a fully functional hospital.

Around 400 patients visit the outpatient department (OPD) every day, hoping for better medical care. However, inadequate infrastructure continues to hinder the delivery of quality healthcare.

Adding to the woes, a ₹1.5 crore oxygen generation plant, sanctioned in 2022 under the PM CARES Fund, remains non-operational because the department has failed to provide the necessary electricity connection. The delay has raised serious doubts about the government’s commitment to developing Jawali Hospital as a model healthcare facility.

During a visit last December, Health Minister Dhaniram Shandil had assured local residents that the oxygen plant would soon be operational, but no progress has been made since.

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, BJP candidate Sanjay Guleria and former councillor Ravi Kumar criticized the state government for neglecting the region’s healthcare needs. “Despite being the constituency of Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar, the hospital lacks even the basic facilities and staff required under the Model Health Institution scheme,” they alleged.

Senior Medical Officer Dr. Irshan Mohammad said that, as per departmental guidelines, the oxygen plant has been handed over to Krishna Diagnostic Lab, and once operational, patients will begin to benefit from it. “A proposal of ₹34 lakh has been submitted for the installation of a power transformer required to run the plant,” he added, “but funds for this have yet to be approved.”