Srinagar, Apr 3: At the time when Kashmir’s sole tertiary care centre –the SK Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura is running short of  vital healthcare equipments, the authorities are spending some half a million rupees on construction a fountain  at the SKIMS premises.
 The fountain is being constructed near the Engineering Wing building of the hospital.
 The hospital medicos said the amount could be spent on the procurement of the much needed EGC machines and other equipment. Sources said the SKIMS has mere two ECG equipments and it required at-least eight more machines which would cost around 1.5 lakh.  This way each ward would get an ECG machine, an insider said.
 “There’s mere one ECG machine in Out Patient Department and other in Emergency department. And in-patients, at times have to climb down as many as seven floors for an ECG. But still, purchasing more ECG machines doesn’t seem priority for the administration,” he said.
 Sources said the hospital also lacks Hematology Automatic Analyzer which costs just Rs 3 lakh. With the result, they said, the hospital was unable to perform any CTC tests.
 Sources revealed that the Color Dopler used in cardiac examinations was defunct for past one year.
 “It would require mere Rs one lakh to get it repaired.”
 Of the 12 elevators in the institute, sources said, only four have been functional for past nearly three years. The rest await repairs.
  “Imagine a ailing person has to climb stairs to reach third or fourth floor because there isn’t lift available for him. There have been repeated complaints from various quarters about the defunct elevators but administration is unmoved pleading lack of funds,” said a senior medico.
 Sources said the number of trolleys and wheelchairs in the hospital were disproportionate to the patient influx.
 Prompted by the shortage of the wheelchairs, a telecom company donated 20 wheelchairs to the hospital.
 “The trolleys available remain occupied most of the time and the patients have to suffer,” sources added.
 The construction of fountain has drawn flak from public as well.
 “It is mere wastage of money. Instead of going for beautification SKIMS, the authorities must improve the healthcare facilities,” said an aged attendant Ghulam Muhammad at SKIMS.
 “Over the years SKIMS has lost its value in healthcare while similar institutes outside are improving day in and day out. It is high time that the administration forgets extravagance,” said Eijaz Ahmad, another attendant.
 When contacted the SKIMS spokesman, Dr Eijaz, said the money had been allocated for construction some three years ago.
 He, however, declined to comment any further.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 3 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 3 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 4 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST