Lives at risk

The flow of patients as well as the attendants remains usually high at the Valley’s lone Children’s Hospital at Bemina area of Srinagar. The hospital was shifted a few months back from Sonwar here to Bemina area. However, what comes under severe criticism with the attendants is the lack of overhead footbridge as there has been no visible measure from the government side in this regard, thus putting the lives of the patients as well as the attendants at greater risk. The spot has already witnessed accidents in the past in which three persons have lost their lives. In March, two persons died after being hit by an ambulance near the Children’s Hospital at Bemina. In the same month, an elderly lady was killed after being hit by an unidentified biker outside the hospital. Given the fact that a large number of people visit the hospital on a regular basis, it becomes imperative to ensure that the accidents are prevented and the precious lives are saved. In this regard, the government should take measures to come up with the mandatory and much-needed overhead footbridge at the spot so that the lives of people are not put at risk anymore. There is a need to approve the project for the wellbeing of the people in a shortest possible time and bring some respite to the attendants, who face tremendous hardships while visiting the hospitals. As Children’s hospital Bemina is the only paediatric hospital in Kashmir, there is a need to ensure all the basic facilities for the people as the rush of people remains unprecedented and thus simultaneously the risk of accidents in absence of the overhead footbridge remains high as well.