Avoiding patients to avert any medical emergency, says MS
Asif Iqbal
Srinagar, Nov 27: With the advent of winters a sizeable number of Valleyites have been suffering from diverse respiratory ailments, however in the middle of all this the lone specialised hospital – Chest and Diseases Hospital – catering these patients has gone out of bounds much to the dismay of visitors.
A group level delegation of patients told GNS that they had visited the hospital here at Dalgate, “however much to our dismay all of us were made to retreat and asked to seek the treatment from any alternate hospital.”
When asked for the reason, the hospital management, as per the group told them that the hospital is exclusively dealing with COVID infection patients.
“People suffering from any other associated ailments’ are supposed to visit any alternate hospital to seek medical assistance”, the hospital authorities as per the group said.
“CD (hospital) is one of the specialized hospital which has been exclusively catering the patients suffering from respiratory diseases”, the group members said adding “However the current stance from them (hospital authorities) is quite perplexing.”
“We do concede that the hospital is presently involved with treatment of COVID infection but then where would people suffering from other related ailments go”, they said.
“We urge the hospital administration to make some makeshift arrangement for the non-COVID patients for their better care and treatment for the fact that the doctors with specialisation in the subject are available at this (CD) hospital only”, they said adding “We don’t want to take any risk by visiting other allied hospitals which may have less facilities and less specialisations to deal with such patients.”
When contacted Medical Superintendent Dr. Saleem Tak told GNS that “We don’t have much space available here even as the hospital has already been declared a designated COVID facility centre” adding that “If there is mix-up of COVID and non-COVID patients, it may potentially lead to a medical emergency.”
“Even then the non-COVID patients suffering from any respiratory ailment can visit SMHS or JVC to seek medical help”, the medical officer said.
Meanwhile when contacted Dr. Naveed HOD of the tertiary hospital told GNS that the hospital administration has already taken up the issue with higher-ups adding that they are waiting for the a response.
“We have offered to start the OPD services at a designated place where routine patients can be segregated from covid patients maintaining all SOPs to avoid risk of transmission of infection. Hopefully we will recieve a clearance from higher authorities for the same. He added that for recovered covid patients we have already started post COVID-19 clinic in Kashmir Nursing Home.” (GNS)