 S T Haq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Jan 27: The attendants accompanying the patients get some tough moments in Lal Ded hospital where no arrangements are in place.
The hospital witnesses heavy rush as compared to other hospitals, and one cannot leave patient unattended, so it becomes necessary for attendants to be with them, but irony is that, most of the attendants face ill treatment during night hours by sweepers, peons, night staff, sources told early times.
Sources said, during these harsh cold days, we do bring different household items including blankets, thermo coal sheets and some cooking pots with us, as we are supposed to stay here for more ten days.
My wife is expected to deliver a baby in the coming two days, we are alert and on toes as sometimes situation goes bad to worse that is why we are almost three to five family members here, said an attendant, Javid Ahmad (name changed).
He said that, during day we remains out of wards, but in the night hours we are supposed to be present here, while the situation does not allow us to take a paying guest room in the nearby locality.
Another attendant from South Kashmir said that, the authorities run the central heating system for only few hours a day here at LD Hospital, and the same goes on during night hours making expectant women and post-operative patients suffer during harsh wintering days.
The Hospital is the major maternity hospital in the valley and the patients from various far flung areas of the valley also visit the hospital, and government should take some preventive measures for attendants too.
However sources said that there are other hospitals in the valley where patients face similar situation with heating being run for only a few hours a day, which badly affect patients and attendants at large.
They said that, if the hospital authorities are aware that there is always a huge rush of visitors, at least some arrangement should be done on humanitarian basis for patients and attendants, said attendants, adding we cannot sleep well during night hours, night staff, outsiders visit in wards, which completely disturbs the patients and attendants.
Pertinently LD was recently in a bad news after hospital authorities denied admission to a pregnant lady of Kupwara district, after which she delivered a baby on the roadside at Bemina Srinagar. |