MCH Anantnag runs out of beds, expecting mothers suffer

Doctors mostly refer cases to Sgr in absence of required beds

By: Ahmad Shabir

Anantnag: The acute scarcity of beds at the lone maternity healthcare facility MHC Anantnag, in southern region, is putting the lives of pregnant ladies at risk while the attendants here have alleged it to be a reason of immense hardships.

According to the sources the pregnant ladies, who develops labor pain after 4 pm, and is being taken to MCH Anantnag, are usually being referred to the other hospitals. “Doctors on night duty in the hospital simply refer the patients visiting the hospital after sunset to Srinagar, thus forcing many of them to move to the private nursing homes operation in the town to avoid further delay in the treatment,” the local sources alleged.

Shazia from Laktipora Bijbehara, is the latest case, having been referred to Lal Ded by the doctors due to the non-availability of beds at the facility.

Shazia at around 2 pm on Friday was taken to hospital after she developed labor pains. After being examined and investigated, the doctors told her husband, Abid Beg to take her to Lal Ded, citing non-availability of beds.

“After reaching hospital, the examination and evaluation consumed us more than two hours. Later, the doctors clearly told us that they have no bed available in post operative ward and that we have no option but to refer her to LD hospital Srinagar,” patients husband, Abid told Precious Kashmir.

“There are high chances that she may need to undergo C-section late in the night. But we are telling you clearly that there is no bed available in post operative ward where she can be placed. If you are ready to take the responsibility on your own, we will admit her here. It is you who has to choose between taking the risk of admitting her here and taking her to Srinagar,” Beg said.

Beg, finally chose the referral option and is now attending his wife at LD for two days.

MCH, the lone maternity hospital of southern region is the most overcrowded hospital in the Valley after LD. The hospital caters to the patients from all the four districts of South Kashmir besides parts of Jammu including Banihal and Kishtwar in summers.

Hospital for the last over two years is working under the administrative control of the government medical college Anantnag.

Shazia is not the only patients who had to bear the brunt of bed shortage at the hospital but scores of such gullible patients visiting the hospital from far off villages have to face referrals at the facility.

A paramedic posted at the hospital revealed that at least five expecting women brought to the hospital for treatment are referred to Srinagar in the evening hours as the post operative ward remains completely occupied by then.

Hospital, according to Paramedic has only twenty beds in PO ward against the required 40. “GMC has no issue of funds for purchasing beds but unfortunately there is no space to fix them as a result of which the patients will continue to bear the brunt,” he said.

Head of Gynaecology department, Dr Syed Nawaz admitted that the hospital is facing severe bed shortage given the rush of patients.

“We have a total of 75 beds in all the wards against the required 200. In post operative ward, there should have been at least 40 beds but we have only twenty. There is a space crunch to fix more beds,” Dr Nawaz said.

He said that due to the bed shortage they are left with no option but to refer the patients brought to the hospital late.

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