Trauma Hospital Kangan sans proper medical facilities

Kangan: Signifying messy state of affairs in Kashmir’s healthcare system, Kangan hospital here sans basic facilities causing immense problems to the patients. The main Trauma Hospital in Kangan possesses a separate section for gynae patients without facilities.
Despite the claims of having raised its status from Primary Health Centre to sub-district hospital, the healthcare continues to be in shambles in central Kashmir's Kangan town of Ganderbal district due to poor infrastructure and shortage of staff forcing the patients to move to other hospitals or private clinics of the doctors.
The patients and attendants told this reporter that the poor health care at the decades old health center in the area continues to add to their woes. “On the one hand, the authorities from years on have been claiming that it has been upgraded as the sub-district hospital and was inaugrated as Trauma Hospital but on the other hand, infrastructure and staff strength continues to remain the same here as it was decades ago.
The hospital also lacks blood bank and blood storage facility which has affected the Surgical department where doctors avoid major surgeries as a result. "At the time of any emergency or surgery, either we have to go here and there for blood or take the patient to city hospital which is a cause of concern", said a local youth sheikh Ashu of Kangan area.
Lack of proper sanitation in the hospital is not only a matter of concern for patients but for hospital staff as well. “Situation is worse with flush toilets. It is terrible”, said a local resident who was admitted here.
“The gynae department of the hospital has been accommodated in a dilapidated building, covered with old tin sheets and plywood. A 10×10 room has been named as a ward where only three beds have been placed and each bed is shared by two patients while leaving a few in corridor,” said a local.
The hospital does not have proper toilet facilities. “No toilet facility is available in the premises for patients and their attendants resulting in people urinating in open field,” a local resident said.
Due to lack of specialists and infrastructure, patients from far flung areas like Gund, Kulan, Chatargul, Nejwan, Naranag, Gutlibag, Wussan etc. are being referred to Srinagar hospitals for the treatment of minor ailments.
Locals said the multi story building for gynae department which is under construction will take years to complete as it is evident from the speed of ongoing work on the hospital. This 70 bedded Maternity-cum-Child health care hospital is still under construction and has expected cost of Rs. 27.55 crore. During the stone foundation, it was revealed that the project is being executed by J&K Housing Board with the central financial assistance and is expected to be completed by the end of this year (2014) but it is still under construction.
Locals requested the intervention of concerned department to take up the matter with administration for an early redressal. Earlier, civil society of Kangan was requested to erect makeshift accommodation within the premises of the hospital on self-help basis till any concrete steps were taken.

Beigh Irshad
Beigh Irshad is a Kashmir based freelance journalist
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