Unfortunately, the meeting with the Chief Minister clearly showed that the government has neither a concrete plan nor a time-bound action plan to address the serious issues of public health

The long pending demand followed by umpteen protests , hunger strike campaign and finally a delegation marching on foot to Dehradun has culminated in resolution of the demands of the protestors by the chief minister Uttarakhand  Pushkar Singh Dhami who announced that there will be addition of twenty beds in the Chaukhutia government hospital  in Kumaon division including improvement in the health services and provision of all the medical equipments and increase in the numbers of doctors etc.

According to the latest news the chief  minister Pushkar Singh Dhami called the protesting leaders at his office for a detailed description session giving them a patient hearing and assuring of resolving their all pending  issues related to the Choukhutia government hospital.

It may be recalled that under the banner of Operation Health Choukhutia, Almora a jatha of protestors in good numbers marched towards the Uttarakhand assembly  in support of their demands.

While they were matching near Rispana bridge the heavy police contingent stopped them.

The outraged protesters squatted on the middle of the road and started singing the inspiring songs of revolutionary people’s port legendary  “Girda”.

They were pressing to meet the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami  in support of their genuine demands pertaining to the Choukhutia health services and in Uttarakhand .

Understanding the gravity of the situation the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami invited the protestors to the negotiating table.  While hearing the voes of the protestors the chief minister agreed to increase the capacity of beds from thirty to fifty at Choukhtia hospital in Almora district .

The chief minister said that all the points laid down by the protestors will be seriously be looked into and resolved for sure at the earliest.

He also agreed to provide the latest XRay machines at the behest of Uttarakhand Krishi Utpadan Vipnan Parishad.

The leader of the Operation Health Choukhutia Bhuvan Kathaith who marched on foot from Choukhutia till Dehradun with his colleagues said the the health services in Choukhutia is tremendously awful and needs immediate overhaul .

He said that the hospital is running lack of medical doctors , specialists and surgeons including various important machines.

The authorities despite repeated warnings never pay any heed to the grievances of the patients said Bhuvan Kathaith.

Those in the talks with the chief minister were UKD’s Pushpesh Tripathi, Sunder Negi, Dam Singh Negi, Ashish Negi, Saraswati Kirola, Nandita Bhatt, Chandra Kohli, Bhuvan Pandey,  Shankar Bisht, Bhagwat Singh, Hemant Bagasi etc. However, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal expressed its disenchantment against the BJP government.

Meanwhile, criticizing  the meeting with the chief minister the UKD leaders  said that the meeting with the Chief Minister was extremely disappointing as today’s  biggest concern is about non existence of a  concrete health policy for Uttarakhand.

We had clearly told the Chief Minister that the health system is in a complete state of disrepair. Hospitals lack enough doctors, medicines, or diagnostic equipment. The government lacks a concrete vision for providing healthcare to even the remotest villages in the mountains. Unfortunately, the meeting with the Chief Minister clearly showed that the government has neither a concrete plan nor a time-bound action plan to address the serious issues of public health said Uttarakhand Kranti Dal.