Hospital upgrade just on paper

Suhail A Shah

Shopian, February 9

Sub-District Hospital, Shopian, was upgraded to a district hospital in 2008, but the infrastructure, manpower and space remain the same, Health Department sources said.

The hospital has been facing acute shortage of doctors, paramedics, machinery and space as the patient inflow has increased over the years.

As per norms revised by the Centre in 2012, the district hospitals should have at least 33 doctors.

“Against the required 33, we have only 11 doctors and a few of them are attached on a temporary basis,” said a hospital source.

The source said some of the important sections in the hospital had been left unattended in the wake of shortage of specialist doctors. “ENT and psychiatry departments are without specialist doctors,” added the source.

The hospital is also facing shortage of paramedics. Against the required 25, there are only six paramedics at the hospital. The hospital does not have a digital X-ray machine, a CT scan machine or basic automated medical investigation procedure.

“The hospital has only one operation table which means they have to refer the other surgery case they receive at the same time,” says Habeel Iqbal, a lawyer and social activist. Habeel along with some other people has started a civil group, Shopian Health Aid Campaign.

Medical Superintendent of District Hospital, Shopian, Dr Muneer said they had more operation tables in stock but did not have the space for them.

The new building of the hospital has been under construction since 2008 and has missed several deadlines so far, the source said.

“The Kulgam hospital building was sanctioned at the same time as this one. Why is it that the building in Kulgam has been functional for the past three years and ours is still incomplete,” said a senior member of the hospital administration on condition of anonymity.

He questioned the logic behind having more than the required number of doctors at Primary Health Centres and leaving the district hospital understaffed.

Medical Superintendent of District Hospital, Shopian, said he was recently posted at the hospital and was doing his best to improve the condition of the hospital.

“I am repeatedly writing to the higher-ups in the Health Department about the shortcomings in the hospital. Things are being looked into slowly, but steadily,” he said.