By Imtiyaz Pandow
Budgam: Sub District Hospital (SDH) located at Chattergam village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district is handicapped and hit by an acute shortage of specialist doctors.
According to locals there is no specialist in an OPD ward, despite being promoted to SDH level.
A female patient, Sameena said that, “No gynecologist has been employed here and medical officers cater to women patients’.
She further added that during night hours there is only one doctor available in the hospital.
“How can a general physician treat gynecology patients and how can MO rank doctor from gynecology department treat other patients,” patients laments.
People demanded to the health authorities that for night hours there must be at least one general specialist in OPD and one for gynecologist as the hospital witnesses such patients during night hours and most of the times in the absence of gynecologist the patients are compelled to visit the Srinagar hospital for emergency treatments.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Budgam, G M Dar, said that the hospital is promoted to SDH level in papers only and is not fully functional as SDH, and the specialist posts are not sanctioned yet.
“The proposal has been sent many times but the specialist posts are not approved yet,” he said.
“Still for the ease of patients we have attached a Medical consultant from Beerwah, who is working there on daily basis,” Dar added.
When asked about the non-availability of various specialists like gynecologist, anesthetist, pediatrician, ophthalmologist, Dar said that these posts are not sanctioned yet and the staff employed in the hospital is according to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) not SDH level.
