Srinagar: With the mushrooming of un-registered private hospitals and nursing homes across Kashmir, the State government appears to have given a go ahead to these unauthorized institutions to play with the public life.
Estimated 60 percent of private hospitals and nursing homes in Srinagar alone have not renewed their registration for more than five years now. This puts a question mark on the working of health department.
The list compiled by Deputy Director of Health Services (headquarters) Kashmir clearly spells out that out of 19 registered private hospitals, eight are running without any registration certificate as their registration has already expired.
The registration of Valley Orthocraft Nursing Home, Bishember Nagar expired on 2-08-2009 and has not been renewed yet despite lapse of five years.
Classic Foundation Hospital, Hyderpora registration has expired on 2-09-2009 and the same has not been renewed yet. New City Hospital, Tengpora-Batmaloo was registered up to 23-03-2014 and no renewal has taken place since then. Registration of Care Hospital, Bemina expired on 13-11-2009, registration of Al- Ameen Charitable Trust, Hyderpora expired on 2-8-2014 and in both the cases renewal is yet to be done. Registration of Al-Shifa, Nursing home and Hospital, Qamarwari expired on 12-02-2014 and is yet to be renewed.
Registration of Florence Hospital, Chanapora has expired on 14-01- 2014 and since then the renewal is under process.
All the private hospitals and nursing homes are registered under government order number 308-HME of 2006 dated 17-5-2006 read with order number 191-HME of 2007 dated 22-3-2007.
Way back in 2014 Abdul Rashid, a resident of Gulberg Colony, Hyderpora, filed an RTI application seeking details of the private hospitals and nursing homes operating in the state. The Public Relations Officer Dr. Anjum Afshan in response wrote that eight private hospitals were running without any registration. The RTI applicant had moved the application by way of contravention of norms/criteria fixed by the Health and Medical Education Department for these hospitals. Since then nothing has changed as these hospitals are still running without any registration demonstrating official apathy towards the healthcare of the state.
Deputy Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr. Mohammad Abdullah told Kashmir Observer, There are some private hospitals that have not renewed their registration but most of the private run hospitals and nursing homes have done their renewal process. We are monitoring the current situation of these health institutions and they have to operate under strict norms otherwise these un- registered hospitals and Nursing Homes will be shut down according to the law.
Those hospitals that have not done their registration must follow proper rules to ensure their credibility, otherwise they have to face stern action in near future, he added further.
Patient Influx From Rural Areas
District Hospitals lack basic facilities forcing patients to shift to Srinagar for treatment.
Nazir Ahmad Teli from Anantnag whose wife Shafeeqa Banu was admitted in Lal Ded hospital Thursday night developed some complications for which she was first admitted in the district hospital Anantnag but for the poor patient there was no gynecologist doctor available and nor was she given any proper medication there. I took her in the ambulance and shifted her to this hospital. If I have admitted her into the hospital at Anantnag, she would have died, said Teli.
Our District hospitals have no basic facilities; even they dont have proper medicines. There are hardly two to three doctors available at these hospitals and in case if a patient visits these hospitals, we have to plead the doctor to treat us, he further added.
There are six district hospitals and 22 sub- district hospitals in the state to cater to the huge number of rural patients but, most of the patients from rural areas come to Srinagar based hospitals for treatment.
There is so much pressure on city hospitals as almost ninety percent of the patients from rural areas descend upon Srinagar. Every single day thousands of patients come to Srinagar hospitals for treatment which puts a direct load on these tertiary hospitals, said a doctor at SKIMS hospital.
DAK president Dr. Nisar-ul-Hassan said, District hospitals are without basic facilities that is why there is such huge inflow of patients from rural areas in Srinagar hospitals. The huge number and influx of patients received at Srinagar hospitals are directly related to the ailing healthcare scenario in J&K.
There is tremendous increase in the number of patients from the last five or six years as there is total collapse in the healthcare system of the State. District hospitals and peripheral hospital of the state are lacking basic facilities for which Government and administration must be held responsible, he further added.
While commenting on the issue Director of SKIMS, Dr. Showkat Zargar said, There is huge influx of patients which are mostly from far flung areas. Around four to five thousands patients are received at the SKIMS alone, not to talk of other hospitals.
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