Expressing resentment against authorities for failing to cater to healthcare needs of patients in the Tral area of Pulwama, the patients in sub-district hospital Tral on Sunday said that they “continue to face inconveniences in absence of doctors, paramedical staff, and other basic amenities.”
“The hospital is lacking specialists like ENT, orthopaedics, ophthalmologist etc. as it hasn’t witnessed any new 'creation of posts' from decades which affects patient care very badly here,” aggrieved patients said.
They said that the X-ray machine which was damaged a year back is yet to be repaired. "The radiologist who is posted at Tral used to give four days at Pulwama and only three days at Tral," they said.
A delegation of also expressed resentment over the absence of an anti-rabies vaccine in the hospital despite growing dog bite cases in the area.
The residents demanded that the hospital should be upgraded with all these facilities to mitigate the patient crisis.
Meanwhile, CMO Pulwama Dr Jaffer Akhoon said that he is trying his best to keep all the facilities available in the hospital as per the norms and instructions from higher authorities.
“Regarding the X-ray machine, they have to go through some legal formalities before its repair,” adding that the “Radiologist of Tral hospital used to give some days in Pulwama to undertake some emergency cases."
On the question of lack of adequate staff for the sub-district hospital, the CMO said that “as per the sanctioned posts in the hospital, they have already all the members available including doctors and other staff.”
When asked about the lack of anti-rabies vaccine, Akhoon said that, "there is shortage of it and the concerned have been already directed to buy it from market when it is needed."