With only four beds for the patients needing life support system and absence of manpower, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag is virtually lying defunct.
The facility gives a look of a general ward with the dialysis section also operating from the ICU.
The hospital catering to four south Kashmir districts – Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian as well as parts of Chenab valley had till early last year only four ventilators, two among them obsolete and unable to function.
However, after Greater Kashmir on March 24 last year carried a report, ‘Just 2 ventilators for 30 lakh population in south Kashmir’, four more ventilators were procured by the hospital authorities through J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL).
Later, following the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic, Government of India (GoI) allocated 902 ventilators to J&K of which 24 were given to GMC Anantnag.
This again did not bring any relief to the patients needing life support as they continue to be referred to Srinagar hospitals for want of space and trained manpower.
“Yes, we have ventilators now but to make them functional we need to have a well establishment critical care unit,” said a doctor who did not want to be quoted.
He said the facility was ill-equipped lacking adequate space, anesthetists and trained nurses.
“This ICU means four beds in a room that also has a dialysis section and no attached washroom,” a doctor said.
He said that it looks more of a general ward than a critical care facility.
An anesthesiologist said that unless the critical care gets enough specialists and other trained staff, it would not serve any purpose.
“There are only 13 specialist anesthetists running theatres of both GMC and its associated hospital Maternity Childare Center Hospital (MCCH) that includes two professors, one associate professors, two assistant professors and eight senior residents,” he said. “The faculty needs more trained senior residents who can run the ICU.”
The anesthesiologist said that they also require more high-end ventilators in-addition to the low-end ones but more importantly the hospital should have specific beds meant for the ventilators, high-flow oxygen, monitors, suction, apparatus, separate staff including a doctor, nurse, and nursing orderly.
He said till now they were only able to manage a few patients requiring non-invasive ventilation.
“The patients requiring invasive ventilation are directly shifted to Srinagar hospitals,” the anesthesiologist said. He said not a single patient had been intubated in this ICU so far.
“Many lives that otherwise could have been saved were lost for want of ventilator support in the hospital,” another doctor said.
He said patients often lose the battle with life before reaching Srinagar hospitals.
Medical Superintendent (MS) GMC Anantnag, Dr Muhamad Iqbal acknowledged the dearth of manpower to run the facility.
“We are trying our best to give life support to patients using the available resources with us. However, we need more manpower including anesthetists and trained nurses.
Principal GMC, Anantnag, Dr Showkat Jeelani said the ICU was fully functional.
“We are trying our best to improve the critical care,” Jeelani said.