Gul Owais
Srinagar: SKIMS Medical College (MC), Bemina that has been dedicatedly working as COVID-19 hospital since March, is all set to start non-COVID services from Monday.
Earlier, the hospital had started online registration for the OPD services in a limited number of disciplines. The service was started in all the discipline except for Gynaecology and Paediatrics and is set to set return to normal next week.
The hospital will not be taking in any patient needing surgery for now and such patients will have to wait for some more time as the hospital is aiming at the gradual resumption of non-COVID services at the Medical College.
“We will start the non-COVID services from Monday and from January 11 we are going to start non-surgical admissions at the hospital and after that we will be starting surgical services from January 18,”Principal SKIMS, Medical College Bemina Dr Riyaz Untoo said.
He said that the hospital has nodded starting non-surgical admissions only and will have to undertake gradual segregation of the entire hospital from the COVID section.
Pertinent to mention here, the COVID services will continue as the hospital has been directed non to stop the COVID services that it has been offering.
“We cannot run non-COVID services without closing the COVID. And we cannot close the COVID section as there are clear cut directions from the Government not to stop COVID,” Dr Untoo said.
Meanwhile, all the necessary measures have been taken by the hospital for the start of non-COVID services after they were halted followed by a surge in COVID-19 cases in Kashmir.
Earlier, the students of the Medical College had expressed their anguish over the non-operationalization of non-COVID services, which they said had affected their studies.
About the resumption of non-COVID services, the concerned Medical Superintendent of the hospital has also been advised and has been given the authority to ensure that SOPs and guidelines are followed in letter and spirit as the non-COVID services are provided at the hospital.
The hospital administration said that other services will also be resumed but gradually keeping in view the sensitive of the process given the fact that the hospital has been for long now functioning as COVID hospital.
It said that they are aiming at having no congestion when the non-COVID services are started while also making sure that people who reach the hospital for treatment are not affected.
“SKIMS, Bemina is an institute where the effect of the COVID on the hospital has been minimal because of strict adherence to preventive measures. We have the honour of treating the highest number of COVID patients as well with least mortality, also, the highest number of COVID pregnancy surgeries have been carried out here,” Dr Untoo said.
