Aatif QayooM
Srinagar, July 17 (KNS): Residents of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday expressed strong anger against the decision of merger of Critical Care Ambulance (102) with 108.
According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), residents said there is already a shortage of Ambulance in DH Handwara due to which patients often face inconvenience.
They also said the hospital has only two functional ambulances and now shifting the critical care ambulance to other location will add miseries of patients.
Residents said that after shifting of critical care ambulance, there remains only one which is insufficient to cater the need of the hospital.
Earlier Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) had ordered merger of critical care ambulance with 108 and clarified that the facility will be attached with the district.
Civil Society Handwara also expressed displeasure over the move and said that authorities had already shifted several ventilators from the hospital to other medical centres.
Fayaz Ahmad, a member of civil society told KNS that though the ventilators were brought back to DH Handwara but in its absence, patients suffered lot of problems.
He said instead of augmenting the facilities in the hospital, authorities are slowly snatching existing machinery and equipments which could lead to trauma for incoming patients.
A doctors wished not be named said that hospital is receiving 400 to 500 patients on daily basis among which many would have been critical which needs immediate ambulance service while moving to other locations for advanced treatment.
Meanwhile locals appealed Lieutenant Governor led administration to intervene into the issue and direct concerned authorities to desist from moving critical care ambulance service from the facility.
They added if decision is not revoked, locals will hit the roads and the responsibility lies on the shoulders of Government.
When KNS reached to Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Sameer Matoo, he said I am in meeting and couldn’t comment. While CMO Kupwara Dr Qousar Jan didn’t bother to pick the call. (KNS)