Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 4: After the authorities of SKIMS Srinagar admitted that the hospital lacked facilities due to overflowing patients, the High Court today directed the Government to place before it the compliance report indicating there-in the steps taken to overcome and control the patient care in the hospital.
The response was filed by the Principal SKIMS Medical College, Srinagar submitting therein that the current situation in the hospital is overflowing with patients as the daily OPD attendance of Obstetrics & Gynecology patients has risen hugely in the last 10 years from 6007 to 60235 but the situation remains same as it was 10 year back.
The Division Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice D S Thakur after having this glaring situation in the hospital sought a complete status report from Health and Medical Education Department in order to overcome this situation so that the daily patient care is not affected.
The report revealed that with just 39 beds more than 60 patients remain admitted in the Obstetrics & Gynae department because the number was so high that admitting 25 to 30 patients against only available 10 beds in the labor room at times can increase the risk of infection.
“In order to overcome the impediments in the patient care particularly related to Obstetrics & Gynae and Pediatrics, a proposal was submitted for amalgamation of 250 bedded Mother and Child Health hospital being constructed near the hospital to Chief Secretary of the erstwhile state in 2018”, read the response of Principal.
After the proposal was placed before the Committee headed by Principal Secretary H&ME department, it was informed to the chair that the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI announced establishment of two new maternity hospitals, one each at Srinagar and Jammu with an object to reduce the burden on existing maternity hospital viz Lalla Ded Hospital and SMGS Hospital at Jammu.
However, after detailed deliberation the H&ME department decided not to associate new maternity and children hospital with SKIMS Medical College, Srinagar. Shujaul Haq the counsel appearing as amicus to the petition submitted before the Court that the said proposed hospital has been converted into full fledged pediatrics instead of maternity hospital as was sanctioned.
“By increasing the facilities for mother and child through amalgamation of under construction mother and child hospital with SKIMS medical college, not only would patients get benefited and reduce the risk of delayed treatment, but simultaneously prevent further overcrowding in the lone maternity LD hospital in the Valley”, the Principal further added.
However, the maternity and child care facilities is the need of hour but the newly constructed 200 bedded maternity and 300 bedded children hospital at Bemina Srinagar has been converted into full fledged 500 bedded pediatrics hospital by the Government in June this year keeping the aim of mitigating the lack of facilities with regard to patients having Obstetrics and Gynae problems.
Authorities are under direction to place on record the facilities which are available for the women and children including the pregnant women in the hospitals and medical facilities in Srinagar.
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