Srinagar, Dec 09: Hospitals across Srinagar are struggling to accommodate the growing number of vehicles, leading to severe parking issues that affect both patients and healthcare workers.
Key hospitals in the city, including SKIMS, Bone and Joint Hospital, Lal Ded Hospital (LD Hospital), Chest Disease Hospital and SMHS Hospital, are witnessing significant congestion due to the lack of adequate parking spaces.
The lack of parking facilities has turned hospital visits into a stressful ordeal for patients and their attendants. Patients, especially those with emergency medical needs, find it challenging to locate parking spots, and many end up parking on the streets. This problem has led to frequent traffic jams, exacerbating the strain on those seeking timely medical care. In many instances, vehicles are parked haphazardly, blocking entrances, exits, and emergency lanes. This not only causes delays but also compromises the ability of emergency services to respond swiftly to critical situations.
“I had to circle around the hospital for nearly 20 minutes just to find a spot to park,” said Asif Mir, an attendant visiting SKIMS for his father’s check-up. Adding, “The parking space inside the hospital is limited, and there’s no proper parking management. It adds unnecessary stress during an already difficult time.”
The situation at SMHS Hospital is equally dire. The hospital, which caters to thousands of patients daily, has seen its parking lot overwhelmed by the influx of vehicles.
Zahoor Ahmad, an attendant at SMHS Hospital, said, “The parking issue here is a nightmare. You spend more time looking for a place to park than you do actually getting to see the doctor. It’s frustrating, especially when you’re already dealing with a health emergency.”
The situation is no different at Lal Ded Hospital, which specializes in maternity care. Expectant mothers and their families are forced to navigate narrow streets, further compounding an already difficult situation.
Shabnam Khan, an attendant at Lal Ded Hospital said, “It’s frustrating to deal with the congestion around the hospital. Expecting mothers and their families are already under pressure, and the lack of proper parking only makes things worse.”
“With limited parking space inside the hospital premises, people often end up blocking roads or parking in no-parking zones. This disrupts traffic flow and leads to unnecessary delays for emergency vehicles,” said a senior doctor at SMHS Hospital.
“When medical staff struggle to park, it impacts more than just our ability to see patients on time. Emergency vehicles face delays as well, which can be life-threatening in critical situations,” said a doctor at Lal Ded Hospital.
In response to the growing parking problem, Mohammad Ashraf Hakak, Administrator of Associated Hospitals Srinagar, said, “The parking shortage is due to the limited space available. We have allocated designated spots for both patients and medical staff inside the hospital premises and the haphazard parking by the attendants is an issue which will be resolved with placing proper staff for maintaining the parking.”
