Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Oct 6: Five district hospitals in Kashmir are lagging behind in medical technology as they do not have CT-Scan facilities available, causing significant challenges for the local populace.
The districts lacking CT-Scan facilities include Srinagar, Budgam, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Shopian.
Health officials revealed that JLNM Hospital in Srinagar currently does not have CT-Scan facilities. However, residents of Srinagar have alternative hospitals available, mitigating their difficulties.
An official mentioned District Hospital Bandipora where a CT-Scan machine was approved three years ago, but it has not been installed yet, leaving patients in the district to suffer immensely. The absence of this crucial equipment forces medical professionals to refer emergency and trauma patients to city hospitals, sometimes leading to tragic outcomes, he said.
District Hospital Ganderbal faces a similar situation, compelling patients to seek services from private diagnostic centres or city hospitals.
A health official in the district said the approval for a CT-Scan machine at the DH Ganderbal has been granted and is expected to be installed this month.
The scenario is no different in Budgam, where patients have no choice but to travel to Srinagar or private diagnostic centres due to the unavailability of CT-Scan facilities in the district hospital.
Similarly, District Hospital Shopian operates without a CT-Scan machine, forcing patients to be referred to other hospitals, primarily in Srinagar.
The official expressed concern over the financial burden on patients, saying they usually have to rush to private labs in Srinagar to get the procedure done. The cost, ranging from Rs 2500 to Rs 3000, is unaffordable for many underprivileged patients, he said.
Residents from these districts have appealed to the administration to equip the hospitals with these crucial facilities to ease their plight.
In response to the issue, the spokesperson of the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) Dr Mir Mushtaq assured that facilities for district hospitals in Ganderbal and Bandipora have been approved and will be installed soon.
He said plans are in progress to extend CT-Scan facilities to other hospitals in the near future.
“Currently, CT-Scan services are available in Pulwama, Kulgam, Anantnag and Kupwara, with hopes for expansion to more hospitals in the coming months,” Dr Mushtaq said.
