Civil Society Forum Kashmir has asked the of Government to come clean on the promise of new pediatric hospital in the valley. CSFK has questioned whether construction of a floor in maternity Hospital at Bemina and declaring it as a new Pediatric Hospital is all that the Government plans to do.
According to a statement issued to KNS, “the Government had promised a full-fledged pediatric hospital in Kashmir and instead what they are doing is turning a floorwith in the under construction maternity hospital at Bemina into child care hospital. If this is all that the govt wants to do then they are playing with the lives of our children”, read the statement. The statement read that it was highly condemnable and a criminal discrimination with the children and infants of Kashmir& Ladakh regions. There is need for a 300 bedded Pediatric hospital which was acknowledged by Government of India and state Government after hundreds of infants and children lost their lives in GB Panth Hospital. Even an amount of Rs 5 Crore was given by Government of India to start the Project but due to no consensus on the location of the hospital the project continued to get delayed. The Government had three options;Istwas at Bemina next to the Maternity Hospital, Second option was at DewanBagh near SMHS Hospital & the third Option was at Children Park next To LD Hospital.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelOption third was considered to be the most logical and effective one by experts but out of blue an unfortunate development has taken place and a decision has been taken by Government to construct a floor in the new Maternity Hospital at Bemina and declare it as a new pediatric hospital. CSFK wants to ask the Government that if this is what they meant when they announced the new hospital for children then they are only hoodwinking the people.
The issue was raised with the Prime Minister of India NarendraModi on his visit to the valley. It was agreed that this burning issue will be taken care of & steps would be taken on war footing to have a full flagged Pediatric Hospital in Srinagar.
CSFK has appealed the state Government and the central Government to fulfill their commitment of making a separate pediatric Hospital in Srinagar. CSFK is appealing to the different sections of the society to come together and raise this issue for the betterment of our child health care. (KNS)