For a faulty power generator, administrators in District Hospital Pulwama have put patients’ lives at risk by delaying their surgeries, while asking most others to go to private or Srinagar hospitals.The patients said that the administrators have failed in repairing an old generator in the hospital from the past one month. Due to unavailability of electricity, the hospital has closed its operation theater for patients who need surgeries.“Only emergency surgeries in Gynecology section are being done by running an alternative small generator till surgery is done. All dated surgeries are either cancelled,” a doctor in the hospital said.Gulzar Ahmad, 31, a patient from Pulwama told KNS that after developing shooting pain in his abdomen, doctors in Pulwama hospital advised him to go for a surgery for appendicitis.
“Four weeks ago, doctors put me for a dated surgery on December 2. But when I went to the hospital, the administrators told me that your surgery cannot be done as the generator is not working for the past one month,” Ahmad told KNS.
“I asked them why they put my life at risk by not telling me that the due to lack of generator my surgery could not be done. They told me ‘such things keep happening’,” he said, adding, he is living on pain killers till his surgery.Scores of patients like Ahmad have similar complaints about the hospital. “My wife was dated for a gynecology surgery, but when the date was closely nearing the doctors at the hospital told me to go to LD. They told me only emergency surgeries are done here,” said another resident of Pulwama.
President Traders Federation Pulwama, Bashir Ahmad told KNS that as a citizen concerned he has complained to the administrators about the generator and other problems patients are facing in the hospital. “But the administrators are not bothered about patient care. The doctors refer the patients to private nursing homes where they practice after duty hours,” he said.A senior doctor in LD hospital rued that it is because of these “negligent” administrators in district hospitals that the patient rush increases in tertiary hospitals.While Director Health Kashmir, Dr Sameer Mattoo confirmed to KNS that the generator, installed in 1981, is not working in the hospital for the past one month, Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Mohammad Saleem claimed that the generator is “running smoothly”.
While abusing the patients and people who inform media, Dr Saleem said that “it is some people who give such information to media,” he said and dropped his phone when asked about the generator.Director Health Kashmir, Dr Sameer Mattoo told KNS that the hospital has installed a temporary small generator. “We have ordered for the new one which will take time.”
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Asiea Naqash told KNS that such kind of incidents occur “due to non-seriousness of some officials”.“I will look into the matter at earliest. I will ask Medical Superintendent of the hospital to provide the detailed list of surgeries conducted from last one and a half month and will accordingly take action over it,” she said.The minister said that they are putting every effort to make all facilities available in the government hospitals but “due to the non-seriousness of some officials such kind of incidents occur. I assure you that patients in the hospital will not face any hardships from now onwards.” (KNS)