Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Dec 3 : Even after six months when the issue was brought into the notice of administration, the Ultrasonography (USG) machine is lying defunct at the district hospital in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, causing a lot of inconvenience to the patients.
Many patients told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the lone USG machine is lying dysfunctional for more than six months, raising many questions on the overall medical-care facilities in the district.
“With no other facility available, patients, especially pregnant women are facing a lot of hardships, due to which they are forced to go to Srinagar, Sopore or other places,” they said.
Patients said that the majority of the patients visiting the hospital for treatment come from poor financial backgrounds who cannot afford to pay hefty charges to private laboratories.
“As the USG machine has been lying defunct, they have been running from pillar to post to get their tests done,” Suriya, a local resident said.
Suriya said that she visited the healthcare many times for USG test but was continuously returned without the test.
“It speaks the volume of the callous attitude of the concerned authorities of providing better healthcare facilities,” she said.
Locals said that they have brought the issue into the notice of the higher authorities several times but nothing on ground has been done so far, “thereby making poor patients suffer a lot”.
Meanwhile, the locals appealed Deputy Commissioner Bandipora to look into the matter so that people can breathe a sigh of relief.
Despite several repeated calls and text messages, the hospital officials did not respond to clarify their stand on the matter—(KNO)