Aclassical example of sheer mismanagement and wastage of a valuable asset can be seen in G. B. Pant General Hospital at Jammu Cantonment Board. While the need has arisen rather felt very fervently for more and more hospitals and other medical infrastructure looking to the COVID -19 pandemic now for two consecutive years, it is really unfortunate that the existing hospital anywhere should not be functioning to its expected levels. The “No one’s baby” syndrome has afflicted this hospital to an extent that now it is functioning, if not literally reduced to, as a COVID vaccination centre. Originally a 50 bedded hospital, it is having leverage to be accommodating more beds and providing better treatment as also advantageously placed in terms of prime location and ambiance, laced with modern equipment and machinery etc but lack of managerial skills and political and administrative will and an overall apathy towards it, have all contributed to an important asset not utilised to its optimum use. Should this hospital be reduced to such a pass that it should literally be awaiting its patients for treatment ? Should during the present most difficult days, this hospital be not in a position to cater to the full treatment needs of COVID patients ? Should nobody in the administration be really concerned about the state of affairs of this hospital? Agreed, presently the concerned UT health authorities are engrossed in struggling with the emerging situation on account of the continuous surge in corona virus infected patients when the existing and supplemented health infrastructure is felt to be inadequate and, perhaps, no attention is paid to this hospital but the situation there is not any latest one but for many years in a row. If Cantonment Board Authorities are responsible for the mess in this hospital, has the Union Health or Defence Ministry taken any initiative to stem the rot ? Except a formal letter in the year 2010 by the Union Defence Ministry to the Jammu Cantonment Board about up-grading of this hospital, nothing further has been heard or seen about the fate of such up-grading, even its normal functioning. Not to speak of that, even the existing “grade” is far from any satisfactory levels in any of the areas supposed to be the domain of this hospital situated in such a prime location. Many factors lead to less or poor development despite best inputs in that wastages, leakages and under utilization defeat the very purpose of any development. This hospital, an asset wastage, is entirely due to apathy of the Jammu Cantonment Board as also the UT Government in not pursuing the matter with the Union Defence Ministry and taking over this hospital and have its full control and management in its hands. We are afraid, this hospital perhaps was neglected all these years knowingly by the then state Governments or else when Badami Bagh Cantonment Hospital Srinagar can be taken over by the (then state) Government in 2003, why Jammu Cantonment Hospital was not? Both the Hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu were erected in the year 1989 but the one at Jammu has faced neglect and made as such to be completely run down. See the other part of the story, whether those who had been in power or others in the Cantonment Board, each one of them want to be projected as having tried one’s best in ameliorating the condition of the hospital which we feel is nothing except passing on the buck and put forth alibis. Had any of the Ministers from Jammu in the then state cabinets right from 1989 tried sincerely for bettering the lot of this hospital, it would have been functioning satisfactorily at par with Srinagar Cantonment Hospital. We, therefore, urge the authorities concerned to take an assertive position and decide the fate of this hospital at an early date and no longer keep it in non functional mode.
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