Matter has been taken up with authorities for resolution: MS
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Dec 27: The attendants of the patients at the recently made operational 500-bedded Paediatric Hospital at Bemina are facing immense hardships due to the absence of pharmacies near the hospital as well as an overhead bridge to facilitate the movement of the people over the National Highway.
The attendants of the patients told Excelsior that if they have to get the medicines prescribed by the doctors, they have to walk to the Hajj House.
“It gets quite difficult for people to walk the distance; and if people try to get the medicines nearby, then they will have to cross over to the wrong side, which gets quite risky and those with vehicles have to make a U-turn near Parimpora,” said one of the attendants who identified himself as Javaid Ahmad.
The people said that if the Government had shifted the hospital to Bemina then, they should have put in place all the requirements near the hospital, especially the pharmacies where the people could at least get the prescribed medicines.
“I was supposed to get the medicines and didn’t have a vehicle with me; I literally had to make my ill child sit on the pavement with his mother until I got the medicines from the other side of the highway where the road crossing usually is dangerous,” said Nazir Ahmad, another attendant.
Apart from the issue of the non-availability of pharmacies, one more issue which is adding to the hardships of people who reach the hospital for treatment is the non-availability of an overhead bridge on the highway near the hospital to facilitate the movement of the patients from both sides of the road.
“These things should have been put in place well before the hospital was made functional, but they just went ahead with starting the hospital, and leaving the people to fend for themselves,” the attendants said, adding that the authorities must take note of the issue and initiate necessary measures to facilitate the movement and service delivery for the people thronging the hospital.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Nazir Chowdhary, told Excelsior that the hospital has a Jan Aushadi store functional while another store under Amrit is also coming up at the hospital to address the issue of lack of medical shops. “Establishing medical shops is not in our hands, but we have conveyed the same to the Government,” he said.
However, people said that there remains a huge rush at the Jan Aushadhi store which is functional at the hospital. “There is a need for opening up more counters to make it hassle-free for the people,” they said.
Concerning putting in place an overhead bridge on the highway to facilitate the movement of the patients, he said that the matter has been taken up with the authorities. “Recently, the Srinagar Mayor visited the hospital and I took up the matter with him; he has assured the necessary measures in this regard,” Dr Nazir said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
