Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 29: Most of the equipments that Centre has sent as a replacement for th3 damaged infrastructure to GMC Srinagar associated hospitals are of "poor quality" and show incorrect results thus embarrassing the patients and the medicos. Union Health Ministry has sent some of the equipments in GMC Srinagar associated hospitals which got damaged in September 2014 floods.
The associated hospitals of GMC Srinagar had suffered a massive damage with SMHS Hospital witnessed 90 percent damage to its equipments worth Rs 200 crore and other hospitals sustained damage in the range of Rs 50 lakh to 1 crore by the floods.
The State Government had submitted a proposal to the Centre seeking financial assistance to make these hospitals fully restored. However, the Central government would not provide funds to the state for procurement of equipments instead sending equipments, which are of "poor" quality.
At Valley's premier hospital, SMHS, vital machinery like three CT scans, two MRIs, Ultrasounds, Doppler, X-ray plants, Echo, EEG, Dialysis unit, Operation theaters, Intensive Care Unit, Oxygen plant and Blood bank were totally damaged.
Sources said the hospital has procured some of the equipments which had been sent by the Centre that have replaced the damaged ones.
"In the past 14 months month, the Central government has sent CT scans, X-ray machines, Dopplers, Echo and some equipment for the neurology lab. But all these are Indian made equipments' that are of poor quality and are showing poor results. The equipments always show variations in results and we are not able to detect the main problem in a patient. We even prefer to send patients to private labs to get tests done there," a senior medico said, wishing not to be named. "We don't want to put the patients at a risk by getting tests done on these poor quality equipments.
An official said the issue was also brought into the notice of former Health Minister Chowdhary Lal Singh, but he didn't take an action.
He said the equipments that got damaged by the floods were of foreign made and were of well-standard quality. Sources said the Union Health Ministry had given a contract to a private firm which sends equipments to hospitals of the state.
Valley's health care is mainly dependent on GMC Srinagar's associated hospitals, which were mostly hit by the last year September floods. "We can't intervene as the Union Health Ministry has sent these equipments. The State Health and Medical Education Department should raise this issue with the Union ministry as these equipments are showing poor results," an official of GMC Srinagar said.
Valley's lone maternity hospital Lalla Ded was also severely damaged as it remained under flood water over a week. Officials said they had sent the requisition to the Central Government for the essential equipment. "We have received some of the equipments like video colonoscopy, monitors, potable X-ray plant, pulse oximeters, infusion pumps and some other equipment sent by the Central Government," an official of LD hospital said. "But these equipments are of poor quality and do not show correct results."
Valley's pediatric hospital G B Panth was also severely damaged by the floods. The hospital according to sources has procured some of the equipment but that too are of poor quality. Lot of equipments of Bone and Joint (B&J) hospital was also damaged due to floods.
"We will check whether they are of poor quality and then we will act accordingly. If anybody has any such information they should divulge it to the health authorities. We will raise this issue with the higher authorities once the government is formed in the state," a senior official said. |
