Ensure round-the-clock treatment

The hospitals across Jammu & Kashmir might have witnessed a huge rush of the patients and their attendants on regular basis, but when it comes to the gazetted holiday, the poor patients visiting these hospitals are being forced to face hardships as the staff either enjoy the holiday or leave the hospital early. Such a situation comes at a time when the government claims to have taken measures to ensure round-the-clock availability of men and machinery in the hospitals for the poor patients. The emergency patients visiting the hospitals for UltraSonography or some other urgent tests are being asked to visit another hospital keeping in view the non-availability of staff at the hospitals. In one such instance, Gousia hospital in Srinagar’s Khanyar locality, catering a huge rush of patients on regular basis, is also witnessing such a chaotic situation as the patients during the holidays are being asked to visit another hospital due to the absence of the staff. One fails to understand why the hospitals like Gousia in Khanyar are not ensuring 24×7 patient-care, despite having a good staff strength and the availability of top medicos there. Such a situation must come to an end, thereby the concerned authorities, especially Secretary Health Dr Abid Rasheed Shah and others should look into the matter and make sure that at least two staff members from every section are available on the holidays so that the poor patients are not disappointed and pushed to the wall by asking them to visit other health facilities for the treatment.