CD hospital to be shifted only after oxygen capacity augmentation: MS

Srinagar, Feb 16: The authorities of Government Medical College Srinagar will shift Chest Disease Hospital Dalgate to GB Pant Hospital building only after augmenting the oxygen supply, officials said on Friday.
In Sep 2022, the pediatric services of GB Pant Hospital were shifted to the newly-constructed 500-bedded Children’s Hospital Bemina. The administration had then directed the Principal, GMC Srinagar to chalk out an action plan for the shifting of the CD Hospital to GB Panth.
The patients visiting CD hospital face challenges particularly in the OPD and emergency sections, citing limited space and blocks. They have questioned the delay in its shifting to GB Pant Sonwar.
Some people also allege that Govt. Medical College Srinagar authorities sit over the shifting of Chest Diseases Hospital to GB Panth Sonwar as repair works are still pending there.
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Medical Superintendent, CD Hospital, Dr Saleem Tak said when GB Panth Hospital was shifted to Bemina it was then decided to shift CD Hospital.
“At CD Hospital we have 4,000 LPM oxygen capacity. At GB Pant there was only 500 LPM capacity which needs to be augmented further. There is a need for 2500 LPM,” he said.
The MS said oxygen supply wasn’t available to every bed at Sonwar, however, for a CD hospital, patients need oxygen for every bed on which work is pending.
Dr Saleem said the Mechanical and R&B Depts. have framed the DPR, which has been submitted to GMC Srinagar and further submitted to the higher authorities for approval.
The MS also said that the head department of Chest Medicine has given the requirements to be done which has been examined by the Principal GMC Srinagar.
“The alterations and internal changes at Sonwar hospital building will be done only when the DPR is approved. There were also ventilation and ceiling issues at the GB Pant building. It will be completed by the end of this year and the work may take a few months,” he said.
“The GMC Srinagar is working on it on top priority. We are on it. Once the repairing works are completed then we will shift there. It will take us some time,” he said.
The CD Hospital has already started the OPD at GB Pant hospital for chest disease patients and it daily gets some 30-40 patients in a day but other services like IPD are not available there.
Officials also said that the existing Chest Diseases Hospital would be utilized as a communicable/Infectious Diseases Hospital and in the later stage may be kept for Drug De-Addiction centre also, if need arises.
Officials said the existing Tuberculosis Division of the pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine department will also remain functional there.
In October last year, MS CD hospital had written to the executive engineer of MH&CH Srinagar to inspect support systems and carry out rectifications of whatever was needed on an emergency basis at GB Panth Hospital before shifting to CD hospital there.
The officials also said the GB Pant Hospital has good facilities in terms of space, bed capacity, rooms for doctors, and proper machinery and there are around 250 beds in GB Pant Hospital while CD Hospital has only a 150-bedded capacity.