Lack of USG service during night-time hits maternity care at DH G’bal

Srinagar, Dec 27: Maternity services at District Hospital Ganderbal have been severely affected due to a shortage of ultrasound (USG) services during nighttime, caused by inadequate manpower, prompting widespread public calls for urgent improvements.
Local residents said despite its status as a district hospital, the health department has failed to allocate manpower to operate USG service at the major health facility in the district.
Syed Adil, a resident of Ganderbal, stated that on December 19, his wife, who is three months pregnant, experienced lower abdominal pain at home around 6 p.m., prompting him to take her to the District Hospital.
“When we arrived at the hospital, we were advised to get a USG done, but the USG section was closed. I tried to find a private clinic, but all were shut. Eventually, I had to bring the owner of a USG clinic from their home and managed to get the scan done after three hours, at around 9:30 p.m.,” he said.
Adil alleged that the USG section at the hospital remains closed during nighttime, causing significant hardship for pregnant women. “If a district hospital cannot perform a USG during night hours, where are pregnant women supposed to go?” he questioned.
People also complained about the shortage of specialist doctors during night hours, which is impacting patient care services at the hospital that serves a large population. “The lack of specialists during night shifts is compromising patient care,” he said.
Another attendant from the district said a few days back his sister was referred from Kangan to DH Ganderbal for immediate USG but the facility was not available during night time.
“We were then referred to SKIMS Soura. The authorities should note this issue and do something for the people. Patients suffer a lot,” the attendant said.
The attendants also raised concerns about the heating schedule, noting that heating in the gynaecology wards is only available from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. “And from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. there is no heating in the hospital during the bone-chilling cold nights,” they said.
Adil also alleged that for the past two months, the hospital’s digital information board has been partially working, yet none of the staff members have managed to fix it.
“Schedules are not displayed at main receptions; they’re still using outdated whiteboards. In this digital age, LED monitors should be used for better management. I urge the concerned authorities to address these issues promptly,” he added.
Chief Medical Officer, Ganderbal, Dr. Bashir Khan said they are trying to resolve the issue and admitted that the hospital is facing manpower issues.
“We have a shortage of expert doctors. We are trying to resolve the issue. I have already chaired a review meeting in this regard and we are going to resolve the issue soon,” he said.
“We will make a roster of the existing doctors and within days the issue will be sorted out,” the CMO said. Khan denied the allegations regarding the shortage of specialist doctors and issues with the heating system.