The G B Pant hospital for children is suffering the same fate as the Lal Ded Hospital for Women.
‘Children Hospital as Good as a Railway Station’
Srinagar: G B Pant hospital, the only children hospital of Kashmir is ‘as good as a railway station’ according to a mother who helplessly shares a bed with three more attendants holding their sick babies on their laps. The hospital presents the same scene in all its wards.
Hajra, mother of a two months old baby in ward one, screamed out of rage, “We feel like we are on a road. Doctors are not available round the clock. Leave doctors, you have to run behind nurses to listen to you. One guides you to other and the other to someone else.”
The hospital still stand nowhere for its progress as it was recently in the news for its staff negligence and lack of facilities. Fearing to lose their jobs, doctors and the senior officials refuse to comment.
One of the senior doctor, who choose to hide his identity said, “From patients to doctors and the other officials, everyone knows about the grave problems of the hospital. There are a number of collective concerns on all the sides.
Fearing for getting penalized, the anonymous doctor said, “If you get permission from a higher level then only we can speak about the issues of the hospital, else we get penalized for speaking the truth.”
Speaking about the flow of patients and the attention they get, another anonymous doctor said that the hospital is overcrowded to take proper care of patients.
“This hospital comprises of an exact number of 200 beds, with a flow of patients in thousands. We cannot deny admissions to patients as it is a government hospital and at the same time we are helpless to provide them the care they require,” added another doctor.
“You see a senior doctor once in 24 hours. Our patient, who was suspected of meningitis at SKIMS, was referred here. Last night the junior doctors, who we suppose are mainly post graduate students, diagnosed him and said there are no chances of meningitis, you can take him home. We were adamant to stay back and today a senior Pediatrician confirmed this as a case of meningitis,” said Dr Saima, attendant of the said patient from Khanyar.
Explaining how poor ventilation can cause other diseases to the patients, Dr Saima said, “We are here with patients suffering from tuberculosis. There are all chances of transmitting such diseases to other children. There is hardly any cross ventilation inside the premises. Instead of recovering, patient will end up with some other diseases.”
Canteen’s bad drainage system is aggravating this problem with its pungent smell. This area is on the side of the Intensive Care Unit, where new born babies and minors with critical illness are admitted for medical care.
“I have been complaining about the bad drainage system of the hospital from the past three years now. People come and sit in our canteen to eat their home food,” said Farooq Ahmad, owner of the Canteen.
He further added that there are no bathrooms available for ladies and the ones available are also in a bad condition. “Your newspaper will be filled with complaints and yet there won’t be an end,” he said. A group of doctors, when insisted to voice their opinion wished anonymity and collectively said that the fact of dual control of this Pediatric Hospital by army and government adds majorly to the problem. “In fact, the location itself is at the wrong place. Such a hospital could serve the patient needs better if it could have been close to the SKIMS or any other big hospital of the valley,” they stressed. (Rising Kashmir)
Introduction to KashmirForum.org Blog
I launched the website and the Blog after having spoken to government officials, political analysts and security experts specializing in South Asian affairs from three continents. The feedback was uniformly consistent. The bottom line is that when Kashmiris are suffering and the world has its own set of priorities, we need to find ways to help each other. We must be realistic, go beyond polemics and demagoguery, and propose innovative ideas that will bring peace, justice and prosperity in all of Jammu and Kashmir.
The author had two reasons to create this blog. First, it was to address the question that was being asked repeatedly, especially, by journalists and other observers in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, inquiring whether the Kashmiri society was concerned about social, cultural and environmental challenges in the valley given that only political upheaval and violence were reported or highlighted by media.
Second, the author has covered the entire spectrum of societal issues and challenges facing Kashmiri people over an 8-year period with the exception of politics given that politics gets all the exposure at the expense of REAL CHALLENGES that will likely result in irreversible degradation in the quality of life and the standard of living for future generations of Kashmiris to come.
The author stopped adding additional material to the Blog once it was felt that most, if not all, concerns, challenges and issues facing the Kashmiri society are cataloged in the Blog. There are over 1900 entries in the Blog and most commentaries include short biographical sketches of authors to bring readers close to the essence of Kashmir. Unfortunately, the 8-year assessment also indicates that neither Kashmiri civil society, nor intellectuals or political leadership have any inclination or enthusiasm in pursuing issues that do not coincide with their vested political agendas. What it means for the future of Kashmiri children and their children is unfathomable. But the evidence is all laid out.
This Blog is a reality check on Kashmir. It is a historical record of how Kashmir lost its way.
Vijay Sazawal, Ph.D.
The author had two reasons to create this blog. First, it was to address the question that was being asked repeatedly, especially, by journalists and other observers in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, inquiring whether the Kashmiri society was concerned about social, cultural and environmental challenges in the valley given that only political upheaval and violence were reported or highlighted by media.
Second, the author has covered the entire spectrum of societal issues and challenges facing Kashmiri people over an 8-year period with the exception of politics given that politics gets all the exposure at the expense of REAL CHALLENGES that will likely result in irreversible degradation in the quality of life and the standard of living for future generations of Kashmiris to come.
The author stopped adding additional material to the Blog once it was felt that most, if not all, concerns, challenges and issues facing the Kashmiri society are cataloged in the Blog. There are over 1900 entries in the Blog and most commentaries include short biographical sketches of authors to bring readers close to the essence of Kashmir. Unfortunately, the 8-year assessment also indicates that neither Kashmiri civil society, nor intellectuals or political leadership have any inclination or enthusiasm in pursuing issues that do not coincide with their vested political agendas. What it means for the future of Kashmiri children and their children is unfathomable. But the evidence is all laid out.
This Blog is a reality check on Kashmir. It is a historical record of how Kashmir lost its way.
Vijay Sazawal, Ph.D.
www.kashmirforum.org
Friday, June 24, 2011
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1 comment:
since the govt. of J&k has agree for NABH(National accreditation Board for hospital and health standards) implementation in G.B.PANT hospital. There is a lot of scope and hope for future improvements .However since our system esp in health care is freezing since ages. There is a lot of resistance to change and bring change . The NABH Officials are facing alot of challenges but i still hope the govt of J&k along with the support from health officials, Doctors and comman man will lead to its success.. inshallah ... PLZ SUPPORT NABH for better , safe and secure hospitals ......
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