Srinagar, Dec 25 (KNS): It may sound strange but it’s a fact that the Gynae ward at Sher-e- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences run JVC hospital In Bemina is without toilets, since the hospital has been established. The worst affected are female patients who undergo treatment at this ward including the nurses and doctors who attend them.
One of the nurses in this Gynae ward (8) told KNS that you will be shocked to know that this ward is without toilets from last almost 17 years. ““It is highly embarrassing. Sick Patients and nursing staff here have to use the toilets, which are far from the Gynae ward. Females even have to share these bathrooms with men. We request someone to guard the door to prevent men from entering it,” said a nurse insisted not to be named.
According to the Nursing staff, complaints have been made to the administration about the issue but nothing has been done so far.
“We have written to the Director, and other authorities many a time but no one is paying heed to our complaints. This is one of the biggest hospitals of central Kashmir. How can they play with the health and hygiene of the Patients as well as Nurses and doctors who are dealing with patients every day?” a nurse told KNS on condition of anonymity.
The insiders informed that other toilets are in such a bad shape in the wards that most of the people refuse to even use them. Most are unclean, with broken doors and windows, and little or no facilities such as water or dustbins,” they claimed.
Senior health officials told KNS that this is not a one-off case. Most of the government hospitals in the valley are facing a similar situation.
“No one is interested in keeping the hospital premises clean. This is not the first time that we have raised the issue. If the government is showing so much interest in keeping the city clean, why not to focus on the hospitals?” a senior doctor said. The Director SKIMS could not be reached for a comment.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Meanwhile sources said that the hospital is grappling with a severe dearth of nurses, Para-medical staff, and this shortage was badly affecting health services.
Sources in the hospital revealed that the shortage can be ascertained from the fact that one nurse is left to take care of around 20 patients in this SKIMS run JVC Bemina hospital. “I can say that like Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, situation is pathetic in this Bemina Hospital,” one of the insider said.
The authorities in this hospital admitted that the nursing staff is working even without the weekly holiday that they are due for. “I can tell you that nurses are under a huge burden so they could not guarantee safe care for the patients,” one of the senior doctors in the JVC hospital said.
One of the nurses insisted not to be named said that they are really understaffed and exhausted at the end of their shift. “There should be at least one nurse for every eight patients and one for every four if dedicated care is required,” the nurse attending patient at gynae ward told this KNS reporter.
Opened amid much fanfare with an aim to provide better Medicare to the people of valley, sources said that non-serious attitude of the SKIMS Soura management has brought the hospital virtually to the brink of closure.
“Presently, there are only around 300 paramedical staff, including technicians, nurses and sweepers to cater to daily rush of over3000 patients. Number of staff is same what it was seven years ago. Posts were created but they were not advertised,” they said.
The top officials of the health department insisting not to be named said that the worst affected are major city hospitals and District hospitals where a huge number of people seek care and where the shortage of nurses can affect the daily activities right from the running of outpatient clinics to theatre services and inpatient care in wards. (KNS)