| Hospitals marred by diminishing supplies | | Despite medical emergency, orders to procure logistics not issued | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 11: Even as medical emergency has been declared here with hospitals running short of resources in treating the mounting number of wounded, the Ministers and Bureaucrats have failed to visit hospitals to issue standing orders to overcome the crisis.
Officials said, over 300 wounded were being treated at various hospitals here, including SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, SMHS Hospital Karan Nagar and the Bones and Joints Hospital, Barzulla, but rather than stepping out to fight out the current crisis, most of the ministers and senior officials are confined to their AC-apartments.
The Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Dr Qasiar Ahmad has already declared a medical emergency meaning that routine admissions, theatres and leave of the doctors have been cancelled at the GMC and its associated hospitals.
Official sources said the hospitals are in a state of crisis, running short of infrastructure and medical supplies, to deal with the problem. Sources said hospitals have exhausted vital stocks of medicines and items like syringes, cotton, bandage and IV fluids.
Doctors at the B&J hospital said they have no more syringes or cotton rolls left as the stock exhausted treating the unexpected inflow of the wounded; Same holds true for SMHS Hospital where over 200 wounded patients are hospitalized.
Officials said given the past precedence there were two options to deal with such cases. He said either the hospitals have to wait for the situation to improve when the Medical Supplies Corporation sends in fresh stocks or that interim procurement needs to be made from open markets for which "standing orders need to be issued."
He said such standing orders could be issued only if a designated authority which could be a minister or a bureaucrat visits the hospital. "But as of now despite our requests, they have no such plans to visit the hospitals," the doctors said.
On Monday morning the situation at the B&J Hospital was so gloomy that locals pooled alms to manage food and medicines for the wounded.
The doctors appealed the civil society and NGOs to come forward. "The ministers will only come forward with visit when there will be an opportunity for photo session, which makes news otherwise they won't come" the doctors ridiculed.
Observers said even if the ministers were hesitant to visit the hospitals senior for security reasons, officials from the police and civil administration should have come forward. "It is the responsibility of the officials holding magisterial charge or equivalent to visit hospitals and see if any standing orders need to be issued. But it has been a different scene this time," said a retired bureaucrat.
Even though Director Health Dr Salim Ur Rehman has started visiting hospitals even other districts, his visits can bring little respite for the GMC associated hospitals or SKIMS in Srinagar. "GMC associated hospitals and the SKIMS are not under his direct control," said a senior doctor. |
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