news details |
|
|
| Machinery, equipments, operation theatres damaged; medicines washed away | | Govt throwing open city hospitals 'cosmetic exercise' | | Fazal Khan
Srinagar, Sept 28: Jammu and Kashmir government is all set to open the major hospitals, including Lal Ded, SMHS and G B Pant across the Srinagar city on Monday.
State's Health Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din has announced that all the three premiere health institutions, which suffered extensive damage during the recent floods, have been cleaned and sanitized. "Wards will be made functional from Monday," Taj said.
A top police official said that job of cleaning and sanitizing the hospitals was assigned to the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP). The JKAP personnel worked round the clock to drain out the flood waters from these hospitals and get them cleaned. "It is unfortunate that till now none of the ministers or officials have even mentioned anywhere that cleaning and sanitizing work was undertaken by the JKAP," the officer added.
Sources said that hospitals have been cleaned but the "big worry" are the equipments and other machines which have been destroyed by the water. "Government wants to open the hospitals to reduce some pressure as it has evoked sharp criticism over its failure to mobilize its men and machinery post floods," they added.
A source said that throwing open the hospitals in jiffy can backfire. "It's just a cosmetic exercise meant at creating an impression that normalcy to a certain extent has been established," the source added.
He said that most of the beds and other infrastructure meant for the patients stands devastated. "It would take a long time to set these hospitals right.
If patients start visiting these health institutions they will face tough time as there is nothing at place," the source said. "One wonders how will doctors and the other staff members operate in absence of the facilities required to treat the patients."
A doctor working in the SMHS hospital while talking to Early Times said, "Government should have focused on one hospital to begin with so that emergency cases could be handled.
The decision of the state government to throw all the three top hospitals open simultaneously will create chaos and confusion and patients are bound to suffer."
He said that making one hospital functional with all the facilities could have been a better option.
As the threat of epidemic breaking out across Kashmir after the floods is looming large the state government is finding it hard to put its act together. Its taking hasty steps as a "face saving measure." "At present Kashmir is facing acute shortage of antibiotics and other life saving drugs. Most of the medicines have been washed away in the floods and a few boxes which are being sent by the outside companies as an aid are not going to last forever," said an analyst.
He said Health Department has failed to set up mobile units which could have travelled across the flood hit areas of the Srinagar city to immunize children and provide emergency medicines to the people.
A few NGOs have set up medical camps at different places but they too are now running out of stock. Setting up of operation theaters and healthcare facilities for the expecting mothers should have been government's priority. However, the state government by opening up hospitals wants to score points and there is every possibility about the move back firing. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
