| Closure of SSH's Gastro OPD fuels anger, anti-Govt protests | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 17: Demanding restoration of the closed Gastroenterology Department at Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) Jammu, a group of patients today held protests against the state government for not complying with court orders against closer of the department.
The patients, who visited SSH for Gastroenterology OPD, were infuriated after finding that the department is yet to be reopened despite the court orders.
The people changed slogans against the government particularly against Health Minister who, they alleged, was fooling the masses.
"The Minister claims that better health care will be extended to the people on their doorsteps. But on the contrary, he is shutting down existing facilities provided by the previous government," said Rafiq Khan, who had come from Kishtwar to get himself examined at the OPD.
"I came all the way from Kishtwar for check-up. Now I came to know that the department was in fact closed in the month of June", said Khan.
The Gastroenterology Department was made functional in May 2014, and in first six months around 1800 endoscopies were conducted while over 12,000 were examined in the OPD.
On April 22, 2015, the Health and Medical Education department closed down the Gastroenterology Department. The High Court, however, stayed government's order. But in brazen violation of the court orders, the government has not reopened the Gastroenterology Department.
"Why are the people fighting for AIIMS to be set up in Jammu silent on this issue? Why are they not speaking against the Health Minister whose move has forced the patients to go outside the state for treatment," said Rajinder Singh, another patient at SSH Jammu.
"On the one hand Jammuites are demanding establishment of AIIMS in Jammu, but on the other they are losing an important facility like the Gastroenterology Department at SSH Jammu," Singh added. |
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