By Imtiyaz Pandow
Budgam: The absence of adequate electricity has left the Community Health Centre (CHC) Chattergam in the central Kashmir’s Budgam district paralyzed from smooth functioning.
Patients visiting to CHC suffer in the absence of adequate electricity at the hospital as of having no separate power schedule than rest of the area or any alternative at the hospital.
Patients alleged that, “In the absence of electricity we are compelled either to wait for hours or visit on next day (when the electricity would be available) to avail the essential services like and X-rays which needs electricity to operate the equipments in order to facilitate the patients.”
A patient Amira who was waiting to get her X-ray done and was later suggested to visit another day (when electricity would be available) said, ” I am waiting to get my X-ray done but in the absence of electricity either I have to wait for hours or visit another time when electricity would be available at hospital as there us no other alternatives left with us.”
Another patient Ajaz Ahmad said, In this era of technology electricity is vital which this hospital sans most of the time.
“The hospital lacks proper electricity and we as patients are compelled either to wait for electricity or avail private services to perform important tests and X-rays,” he added.
Employees of CHC lamented that they are unable to use electricity dependent equipments due to which the facility provided by the hospital remains affected.
Hospital sources told The INS that, “The hospital has no different power schedule or as this area has and also sans with the alternatives to facilitate the patients, If the hospital is paying bill in thousands of rupees why can not the hospital is having a special electricity service or different schedule from rest of the area”.
One of the employee confided, The absence of adequate electricity affects most functioning of the hospital. “Patients who need oxygen, dental services, x-rays suffer the most,” He added.
The patients and employees has demanded that authorities must ensure the facility of adequate electricity to the hospital.
When contacted Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Budgam, Dr Nazir Ahmad said that “For adequate electricity we need hotline which is very costly”.
When asked why not they provide high capacity generator he said, “Let the people write about it to the Block Medical Officer (BMO) Chattergam via written application and after BMO will forward the application to CMO I will forward the proposal for the same”
