The USG machine in the Chest Disease Hospital has been “deliberately kept out of order” from December 20 last year, making it inevitable for patients to depend on private sector for the diagnostic facilities.While poor patients continued to suffer, it took administration four months to determine “deliberate attempt by the in-charge section of the hospital” to keep the machine defunct, apparently in league with private diagnostic centres.According to record accessed by the GNS, the Head of Department Pulmonary Medicine has written on April 11 to Principal GMC for “strict action” against in-charge section of the facility for “repeatedly conveying that the machine is out of order”, no action has followed hitherto.Not only this, the concerned officials of the hospital have moved the USG and other facilities to a washroom allegedly to create space for “kitchen” and make patients suffer on other accounts.
There are now no urinals for patient use in the hospital, sources said.They said that Head of Department Pulmonary Medicine Dr Naveed Nazir along with Dr. Syed Suriya (Associate Professor) carried out a surprise visit to USG Section of the hospital on April 11 and they found that no Ultrasonography procedure has been done from 20 December 2018 even as the Machine was found in “working condition”. “This clearly indicates negligence and deliberate attempt by the in-charge section of the hospital, to keep the machine defunct,” Dr Naveed has written to the Principal GMC Srinagar.“It is pertinent to mention here that he (in-charge of the section) has repeatedly conveyed that machine is out of order,” Dr Naveed has said, adding, “Keeping in view negligence by in charge, it is as such requested that strict action against In-charge USG Section of this (CD) hospital may kindly be taken, so that inconvenience faced by the patient who are coming from far-flung. (GNS)