Healthcare in Qazigund in doldrums
Excelsior Correspondent
QAZIGUND, Feb 1: Highlighting the official apathy and the grim infrastructural situation in rural areas of Kashmir, a woman suffering from labour pains had to be carried on shoulders to the hospital covering a distance of 12 kilometers from her home.
Mevish Jan, a resident of village Dingowari Manzmoh of Qazigund Tehsil in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district developed labour pain on Friday morning. Her family members called the helpline number 108 for ambulance services repeatedly but there was no response at all.
As the ambulance could not reach her home, her relatives decided to carry her in a makeshift cradle to the National Highway travelling around six kilometers from the village.
On reaching the National Highway, the family members of the pregnant lady said that they again called the ambulances services, dialing 108, but there was no response from the hospital.
Later, the family members of the woman who was suffering from acute pain decided to continue their journey on foot. They carried the patient on their shoulders traveling another six kilometers to reach the hospital.
Mudasir Ahmad Padder, a local resident censured the administration for not clearing snow from the arterial roads of their village which according to him was one of the reasons that the ambulance could not be deputed to their village.
“These incidents illustrate how our authorities have failed to provide basic facilities to people in remote parts of our district. Citizens who face Medical emergencies have no other option but to carry their patients on their shoulders,” the family members remarked.
Later, the woman was admitted to the Emergency Hospital, Qazigund and her condition is stated to be stable, the members of the family informed.
Passing the buck, the BMO Qazigund, Dr Zahoor Ahmad said, ” I never received a call from any such patient. Yes we ferried some patients from different places today but I don’t know anything about this patient.”
Dr Mohammad Rafiq Dhobi, Medical Superintendent Emergency Hospital Qazigund, when contacted said, “Yes the patient about whom you are talking has been admitted in this hospital but I don’t know anything about their complaint regarding ambulance service.”
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