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| Shortage of ventilators in SKIMS puts patients' lives at risk | | | Saqib Junaid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 23: While the government claims of having upgraded the health care facilities across the state, the premiere Sher-i- Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS) in Kashmir valley is facing shortage of ventilators resulting in deaths of critically ill patients who desperately need the life support system.
As per medical norms, there should be five ventilators for 100 beds. But, the situation is entirely different in Kashmir and in peripheral hospitals there are no ventilators available.
Patients and attendants visiting the hospital said that the scores of patients who are in need of the ventilator support have to lie in either surgical wards or in others due to the insufficient ventilators here.
A senior medico at SKIMS Hospital on condition of Anonymity said, the hospital witnesses not only rush of critical care patients who suffer from different illnesses but also the victims of accidents, firing incidents and other law order related emergency incidents.
"Due to shortage of ventilators, patient who requires ventilator support has to be put on manual 'Ambu-bags' which is uncalled-for. "We feel sorry to ask attendants to do this job. It is pathetic and exposes tall claims of state's health department," he said.
Official sources at SKIMS hospital, told Early Times that there is also shortage of technical staff in Intensive Care units (ICUs) and during heavy rush in the hospital the deployment of additional staff, who look after critical patients on their arrival at the medical emergency at SKIMS lacks experience.
Sources added that a total of 40 ventilators are in the hospital, out of which only 25 are functional. Despite pleading several times to the higher authorities in this regard nothing has been done but all has fallen in to deaf ears.
Talking to ET, Mushtaq Ahmad of Tral, an attendant of the patient said, "Our patient is suffering from a serious disease and doctors asked us to put him on the ventilator support but unfortunately hospital is running with the low capacity of ventilators due to which the authorities shifted our patient in the general ward."
Mushtaq said that to tackle the increasing rush of the patients who need ventilator support, the hospital authorities should manage more ventilators here as a few number of ventilators are not enough to
cater to the huge rush.
The attendants present in the hospital demanded that the low capacity of ventilators here should be resolved forthwith, adding, "The institute is one of the highest and oldest medical institutions in the state, Patients from every corner of the Valley visit the hospital with the hope of better treatment.
Despite attempts Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan could not be contacted for comments. |
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