Naveed-ul-Haq
Budgam, Mar 17: Residents of Beerwah in central Kashmir’s Budgam district are facing a tough time due to the unavailability of an ATM service at the nearby Sub District Hospital (SDH).
Locals said that patients visiting the SDH Beerwah have been demanding the installation of an ATM service at the hospital for a long time but their requests have gone unanswered.
According to the locals, the absence of an ATM service at the hospital is creating inconvenience for them, especially in times of emergency. ‘’We have to travel for over a kilometre to avail of the service, which is a challenge for those who require immediate medical attention,’’ said a local resident.
One of the attendants of a patient said, ‘’If we don’t have cash, even a sick patient is left unattended; then one is left with no option but to travel a kilometre to the ATM. This lack of access to basic facilities can have serious consequences for those in need of medical care.”
Many other attendants said the unavailability of the ATM is causing them a lot of trouble.
The residents living nearby the hospital said the issue has been raised with the local administration as well as bank authorities a long time ago. “Now, the authorities must take note of the issue and provide us with an ATM,” they said.