For last eight years now the space constrained district hospital Ganderbal, the only major hospital in the district, is awaiting the completion of its new 200-bed building.
The 200 bed hospital building is being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 52 crore out of which Rs 35 crore have been utilized so far by the executing agency JKPCC.
The work on the hospital building was started in 2009, however despite passing of more than eight years the hospital building is still incomplete.
“The work on the hospital building was initiated with an aim to provide better healthcare facilities to the residents of this town, but the non-completion of this project has exposed the state government’s claim of providing quality healthcare to the people of remote areas,” the residents of Ganderbal told Greater Kashmir.
Vice-Chairman JKPCC Khalid Jahangir assured that one block of the hospital which is complete will be handed over to the health department soon.
“I had assured the people that the pace of work on the hospital will be expedited. I visited the under construction building and took stock of the work going on. One block of the hospital is complete and the same will be handed over to the health department so that they can shift there,” Khalid Jahangir said.
Meanwhile, the hospital is facing dearth of staff, infrastructure and space constraint, affecting the patient care.
Ironically this major health institution in Ganderbal district is named as district hospital but it functions as a sub-district hospital. Sources said that the hospital which was a Primary Health Center (PHC) and was upgraded to SDH decades back, however till now the hospital has not been upgraded to District Hospital despite Ganderbal being accorded a district status in 2007 neither there has been any creation of posts of doctors.
Official sources said that the hospital is presently having the staff as that of a Community Health Centre (CHC) and not even of a sub-district hospital.
This major hospital is without any posts of specialist doctors including ENT, Orthopedics, Anesthetist, Ophthalmology and Surgeon Specialist.
Sources said that there are only seven Medical Officers (Assistant Surgeons) posts and 5 consultant posts in the hospital against 30 required Medical Officers.
Similarly, the hospital is without the Computerized Tomography (CT) scan forcing the doctors to refer the stroke and trauma patients to Srinagar.
“There is no MRI facility, Digital X ray, blood bank in the hospital even,” said the attendants.
The lack of adequate bed strength also affects healthcare.
“The hospital is facing shortage of required staff particularly specialist doctors, the space constraint is a major issue at the hospital,” a medico wishing anonymity told Greater Kashmir.
“The hospital does a good work despite the shortage of doctors and specialists, besides routine OPD and IPD services the hospital has added some newer diagnostic like endoscopy, Color
Doppler, ultrasound and ECG monitoring for which patients had to go to SKIMS or SMHS or spend huge amount at private diagnostic centres,”medical superintendent district hospital Ganderbal Dr Sameena Mufti said.
Deputy commissioner Ganderbal, Dr. Piyush Singla, said that they have asked the executing agency JKPCC to take up the work on remaining blocks and presently completed Block ‘A’ shall be operatoinalized soon.