Srinagar: The government move to stop volunteer organizations from providing free assistance to hundreds of wounded patients and their attendants from far off places sparked an angry protest outside citys premier hospital the SMHS on Thursday.
Protesters alleged that government wants to leave the attendants and injured patient at the mercy of God. It is move to harass and annoy people.
Hundreds of volunteers from different social and religious organisation have been helping patients and attendants in the Valleys hospitals amid the ongoing unrest.
They have pitched their tents and are providing food, medicine and other facilities to the patients and their attendants.
This morning some persons from police asked us to stop providing assistance to the injured people here and close down all our volunteer activities, they said.
Instead of directing forces to stop opening fire on the protesters, the authorities are forcing us to stop providing assistance to the needy people here, they said.
Patients admitted here are residents of different places in Kashmir and it is not possible for their attendants to make medicine and other eatables available for them as the whole Kashmir is under a strict curfew, they said.
The attendants are running short of money and at this time of period closing the volunteer activities can risk the lives of their dear ones who are admitted in the hospital, they said.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent of SHMS Dr Nazir Hussain Choudhary said the hospital authorities have not asked the volunteer groups to stop their activities.
Infact, the hospital administrators have appreciated the volunteerism of the people and said that they saved lives of the innumerable patients.
This is the height of arrogance. They use bullets and pellets on peaceful protestors and then block all ways to deny them any assistance in the hospitals by the concerned residents, an attendant from Anantnag rued.
According to Naseer Ahmad, a volunteer from a nearby locality, most of the injured and their attendants besides usual patients at the hospital are from far off places of the Valley.Their attendants are running short of money and they need help from the volunteers. We are doing our bit at least to provide them some food and medicines on humanitarian grounds, he said and alleged that government is pursuing anti-people policies to annoy and harass them.
Despite repeated attempts, no official was ready to comment on the issue.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
