Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 14: As Covid-19 is on a decline and very less percentage of Covid-19 patients in need of hospitalization, the two DRDO hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir continue to remain defunct while government is seriously planning to utilise these hospitals for ‘other purpose’.
Top health officials said that these hospitals are equipped with Intensive Care Units (ICUs) with hundreds of ventilators, including those meant for children and infants; there is facility of high-flow oxygen on every bed; huge bed capacity but government must take steps so that it won’t get waste.
They said that in third wave and after that hardly any patient was admitted in these hospitals, then for what these hospitals are and what is fun of equipping these facilities with expensive machinery.
“There should have been general advisory that all Covid-19 patients requiring hospitalization should be admitted in DRDO hospitals only so that rest of the hospitals can function normally and won’t have to make separate arrangements for Covid patients but that is not happening,” they added.
A senior doctor said that given the location and infrastructure of DRDO hospitals in Srinagar, they can be converted for treatment of ‘infectious diseases’.
He said that there are many infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, Influenza, Diarrhoeas of various kinds, Dengue, Malaria and all such patients can be treated under one umbrella at DRDO hospital and can help in prevention of spread of infectious diseases and less load on other hospitals.
Pertinently, these hospitals were set-up within a few weeks in May 2021, during second wave of Covid-19 when almost every patient was requiring hospitalization and bilateral pneumonia was common.
Both hospitals are equipped with a 125 bedded ICU and the remaining 375 beds have high-flow oxygen connectivity.
These hospitals have strong oxygen generation plants having capacity of 56000 litre capacity of Liquid Medical Oxygen each.
Meanwhile, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar said that the government is examining the matter and they are yet to take any decision about it.
“Matter is being examined how to utilise these health facilities in a better way,” he said.
