Curfew hits functioning of hospitals in Kashmir vallery

Srinagar, Aug 27: As the normal working of almost all hospitals in the Kashmir valley was affected due to curfew, the authorities have decided to provide transport facilities for the patients and their attendants who were discharged.

There is acute shortage of doctors, paramedical staff and medicines in the hospital, patients and their attendants in the G B Panth hospital at Sonawar in the cantonment area told the sources.

They said only few doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff were working round the clock without any rest.

''We have not seen any new doctor in the hospital since the curfew was imposed,'' they said.

They said if the patients could be brought here from different areas, why not doctors and other staff.

They also complained shortage of medicine in the hospital and said whatever was available was being given to patients, mostly small children.

However, one Hilal Ahmad, from Natipora, said his one and a half year old son was treated well by the doctors in the hospital. He was discharged yesterday but we could not go to our home because of curfew.

There were more than three dozen other patients who were discharged but could not go home because of curfew.

They said they do not want to take any risk as security forces were not allowing anybody to move towards the main road.

However, they lauded the role of the mohalla committees of the area who provided them both time meals, tea and other essentials for the past four days free of cost.

Similar situation was witnessed in other hospitals of the city and other districts.

The authorities have now directed the hospital management to contact police control room for taking the discharged patients to their homes.

The control room will provide necessary curfew passes to these patients and their attendants, the officials said.

Meanwhile, several social and political organisations have urged the administration to provide all necessary help to patients admitted in different hospitals in the valley.

UNI