There is a shortage of essential medical supplies in the Government Medical College (GMC) Baramulla here, according to attendants of patients and the doctors.Sources told Kashmir News Trust that for the last couple of months there was shortage of gloves, blades, and surgical masks in the institute.“Despite of our repeated requests to the authorities to improve the supply nothing has been done,” a doctor said, adding, “even the thread used in stitching wounds and an essential ingredient during surgeries is in short supply.” The hospital also lacks adequate supply of surgical gloves and the attendants of the patients have to buy these from markets.Shahnaz Khan, a patient of old town Baramulla said, “We were told the stock of gloves has run out and we should buy them from the market which is frustrating.”A doctor wishing anonymity said, “It is the worst thing for this institute to be short of gloves. It is not possible for a doctor of a maternity hospital to touch a patient without gloves. The poor patients are left with no option but to buy it from the market.”The doctors also complained about the shortage of blood pressure apparatus for checking blood pressure of patients. A doctor said there are insufficient blood pressure apparatus for doctors.A pharmacist of the hospital said for the past four months the institute also lacks supply of antibiotics, and patients have to purchase costly antibiotics from the market. "Poor patients like me visit government hospitals to get free medicines but sadly such facilities cease to exist for us. We can't afford to go to private hospitals for the treatment," said an elderly man Hamidullah (65).
In the absence of proper plaster, plates and antibiotics the patients face inconvenience in orthopedic section.Patients rued that GMC which was meant to ease out the problems of people is giving them more suffering.Ghulam Nabi, who underwent the treatment in January this year narrated, “I came to this institute in the hope we would have to spend less here. We are poor, but in the institute I have spent more than five thousand rupees on medicines, injections and antibiotics from the market.”For the only major hospital in the north Kashmir, receiving more than 700 patients a day, there is lack of space also, and which too irks both patients as well as doctors .The doctors and the patients also complained about the unavailability of proper sanitation arrangement in the institute which they consider to be of a primary importance in the institute. Besides this there is dearth of beds and bed linen.The people now urge the government to resolve the problems at GMC, so that patients may not suffer anymore.Government medical college Baramulla was first known as district hospital Baramulla. Earlier, the administrative control was under directorate of health services Kashmir.When contacted a senior official in the institute, said: “We have received no complaints from the doctors or patients about the shortage of surgical items in the institute.” Regarding other problems he said the matter will be looked into. (KNT)