Srinagar, Aug 25: The claim made by the state government that it has released Rs 50 lakh for treatment of injured patients admitted in city hospitals has proved to be a hoax.
Officials in SKIMS said they received only Rs 10 lakh for injured and Rs 1 lakh for Amarnath Yatris. The SMHS and Bone and Joints hospitals have received Rs 5 lakh each for local purchase, officials said.
An attendant in the SMHS hospital said, “Government claims more and does less. If they showed concern through the announcement of release of Rs 50 lakh for the treatment of the victims of police and paramilitary CRPF action, then where is the fund?” he asked.
Since June, at least 400 injured victims of police and CRPF have been admitted in SKIMS, 140 in SMHS and 130 in Bone and Joints Hospital, which has exhausted the available drugs in these hospitals.
 Most of the injured patients and their attendants narrated the tragedy through which they undergo due to lack of several drugs in these hospitals. They said the hospital administration provides whatever medicines are available with them.
 “But we have to buy some costly drugs from market,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, an attendant in SMHS hospital.
 He, however, said the hospital authorities paid them some cash for the medicine bought from the market.
 “I brought plates from market for the fractured arm of my brother, which costs more than Rs 1500,” said an attendant in B&J hospital. Although the hospital administrations claim that they have sufficient supplies of drugs, but the senior doctors said the supplies had exhausted due to heavy rush of injured patients during past two months.
 A senior doctor said the hospitals were running short of life-saving and some costly drugs. If government would release the announced amount, hospitals would be able to cater to the huge rush of injured patients, he said.
 “The hospitals are facing acute shortage of life-saving drugs and some costly items like plates and wires for fracture patients. The stocks of surgical items like anesthetics, drugs and cotton have also been exhausted,” a senior doctor in SMHS said. He said hospitals need enough funds this time to cope with the rush. Otherwise, patients would lose faith in the medical system of Kashmir, he said.
 Apart from drugs the patients are not getting proper food due to shortage of supplies to the hospitals.
 “We are not getting proper food from hospital administration. But, some mohalla committees are bringing food and other essentials here for us and our attendants,” said an injured patient in B&J hospital.
 Talking to Greater Kashmir, Principal, Government Medical College Srinagar, Dr Shahida Mir said, “We only received Rs 5 lakh each for SMHS and Bone and Joints Hospital.” She said there was no communication from government that more funds would be released.
 The Medical Superintendent of SKIMS, Dr Syed Amin Tabish said he received Rs 10 lakh for injured patients and Rs 1 lakh for yatris till date.
 The minister for medical education, R S Chib told Greater Kashmir, “We have kept Rs 50 lakh fund for the injured persons, medicine and transport of the concerned hospitals. There is no problem with money and it will be released simultaneously. We have given free hand to Medical Superintendents to spend money on medicine, transport and food for patients and attendants.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST