The volunteers who have been helping patients and their attendants at Valley’s hospitals Thursday protested at SMHS after authorities asked them to close their activities.But the SMHS authorities said that they have not asked the volunteers to wind up their activities.The protesters assembled outside the SMHS hospital and shouted slogans against the government.Hundreds of volunteers from different social and religious organisation have been helping patients and attendants in the Valley’s hospitals amid the ongoing unrest.They have pitched their tents and are providing water, food, medicine and other facilities to the patients and their attendants.Supported by the attendants and locals, the volunteers told KNS that “We were asked by the police to close our volunteer activities in the hospital”.“This morning some persons from police asked us to stop providing assistance to the injured people here and close down all our volunteer activities,” they said.“Instead of directing forces to stop opening fire on the protesters, the authorities are forcing us to stop providing assistance to the needy people here,” they said.
“Patients admitted here are residents of different places in Kashmir and it is not possible for their attendants to make medicine and other eatables available for them as the whole Kashmir is curfewed,” they said.They said that authorities should stop intervening into the human assistance and should allow them to provide assistance to the needy people.“The attendants are running short of money and at this time of period closing the volunteer activities can risk the lives of their dear ones who are admitted in the hospital,” they said.Medical Superintendent of SHMS Dr Nazir Hussain Choudhary told KNS the hospital authorities have not asked the volunteers to wind up their activities.Infact, the hospital administrators have appreciated the volunteerism of the people and said that they saved lives of the patients. (KNS)