Delay in CD hospital’s shift to Sonwar continues, patients suffer

Srinagar, Dec 04: Patients from different parts of valley visiting the largest Chest Disease Hospital continue to suffer due to lack of proper facilities at the facility and have questioned over the delay in its shifting to GB Pant Sonwar.
The patients face numerous challenges at CD Hospital, particularly in the OPD and emergency sections, citing limited space and blocks available for their care.
Waseem Ahmad, a patient from Srinagar said he recently went to the hospital along with his ailing mother and complained that the hospital‘s emergency section is not functioning to the expectations of the people making it impossible for severely ill patients to avail facilities.
“This hospital is meant for the chest diseases and people from across Kashmir come here for treatment and they go back with anger,” he said.
Mustafa Ahmad, an attendant from Tangmarg pointed out that the emergency section lacks patient-friendly features, and individuals admitted there are transported by lifting, given the absence of a ramp on this side.
He also said patients have additionally highlighted concerns about insufficient sanitation in certain areas of the hospital, urging the need for proper maintenance in crucial sections to ensure a hygienic environment.
He alleged that authorities of Government Medical College Srinagar are sitting over the shifting of Chest Diseases Hospital to GB Panth Sonwar as repair works are still pending there.
Medical Superintendent, CD Hospital, Dr Saleem Tak said when the GB Panth Children Hospital was shifted to Bemina it was then decided that CD hospital would be shifted.
“We have taken up the mechanical works at Sonwar and once the repairing works are completed then we will shift there. It will take us some time,” he said.
The MS said oxygen supply wasn’t available to every bed at Sonwar, however, for CD hospital patients need oxygen for every bed on which work is going on.
The authorities of Government Medical College Srinagar have given a DPR to Roads and Buildings and Mechanical Departments in order to conduct some alterations and other internal changes at Sonwar hospital building.
“We have already started the OPD at GB Pant hospital for chest disease patients. We daily get 30-40 patients in a day but other services like IPD are not available there,” he said.
Notably last year, the H & ME Department ordered the shifting of the Children’s Hospital from Sonwar to Bemina and it had then directed the Principal, GMC Srinagar to chalk out an action plan for the shifting of the CD Hospital to GB Panth.
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 tuberculosis division of the pulmonary and respiratory medicine department will also remain functional there.
In October last year, Medical Superintendent CD hospital had written to the executive engineer of MH&CH Srinagar to inspect support systems and carry out rectifications whatever needed on emergency basis at GB Panth hospital before shifting to CD hospital there.
Health officials also informed that the government is also planning for setting up a drug de-addiction center at the CD Hospital Dalgate building which will be handled by the concerned department of the GMC, Srinagar.
They said that 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.