As many as five years are too ”insufficient” to have the oxygen plant at District Hospital Kulgam in Kashmir operational. The need of having this vital life saving facility at a time when COVID- 19 pandemic has spread with full rage across the country hardly needs any emphasis. The oxygen plant set up at the concerned hospital remaining non operative even if it meant tremendous hardships to those patients suffering from Asthma, breathlessness and other respiratory diseases and needing oxygen facility, looks strange. Even for those patients who enter critical stages during treatment, this facility is of paramount utility in reviving them and how the Doctors would be managing things in its absence is well realised.
We often pinpoint that the management of hospitals is found weak, wanting in taking prompt action and putting up cases of urgency like faults in the equipment, machinery, etc before the higher authorities promptly to have them set right. On the other hand, at the time of purchasing and installation of units like the one under reference, no post sale services, warranty, replacement clauses like basic terms are not made mandatory while indenting and purchasing. We do not mince words that the requisite seriousness is not shown while buying or installing units for ”Sarkari” institutions by the concerned authorities the way they would if purchased for their own domestic home use. No technical personnel has seen the defunct plant to mend it which if in operational mode could have provided 48 oxygen outlet points . Imagine how Doctors must be grappling with the situation and besides attending to treat the patients are facing the anger and helplessness of the patients and attendants. Should it not be made known as to who is responsible for this uncalled for mess in a healthcare institution?
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