Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 26: The Government Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla here is receiving 1000 patients on average in Out Patient Department (OPD) while officials at the hospital claim that 90 percent of them can be managed at peripheral hospitals.
The doctors posted at B&J Hospital said that the OPD receives around 1000 patients on average, from different corners of Jammu & Kashmir and even Ladakh.
On Monday and Tuesday, the number of OPD patients even goes to 1300-1500 while on the rest of the days; it remains between 800 and 900, a doctor wishing anonymity said.
He said dozens of patients are being referred to the hospital from district and sub-district hospitals every day.
“Though the hospital is the valley’s largest tertiary-care bone and joint hospital, that doesn’t mean you have to refer every case here to put pressure on limited resources,” he said.
A top doctor at the hospital said that around 90 percent of the patients visiting OPD and referred to the hospital can be easily managed at peripheral hospitals. “When there remains a heavy rush of the patients, you are unable to give more time to the patients who deserve it,” he said, adding that the unnecessary referrals severely impact the treatment of genuine patients.
