Srinagar, Jan 6: The patients visiting the Composite Regional Centre here for treatment of various ailments are suffering immensely due to lack of heating arrangement.
 The Centre, which has a school for visually impaired, is frequently visited by physically challenged persons and those with bone related ailments to receive physiotherapy sittings and other aides. According to the patients, their pain aggravates due to absence of heating arrangement in the Centre. “I am suffering from neck ache and the freezing temperature is making things worst for me,” Ghulam Muhammad of Bemina told Greater Kashmir adding the authorities had failed to mitigate the sufferings of patients despite repeated pleas. He accused them of ‘callousness’ and indifferent towards the patient care. 
 When this reporter visited the Centre, there were few gas heaters in the entire concrete building. Outside the physiotherapy room, a cluster of patients were seen huddling around a lone heater in the corridor while others seated on benches were suffering due to cold. “A gas heater in the physiotherapy room doesn’t make any difference and the patients are unable to do any exercise because of chilling conditions,” the patients said.
 Sources in the Centre said that a proposal for central heating system for the Institute was sent in 2003. “The proposal has not been approved yet,” they said adding several reminders had been sent to the Ministry, which has sought a fresh project proposal.
 When contacted, the director CRC, Dr Reyaz Ahmad Untoo said the Central Heating System needs only administrative approval by the Institute of Physically Handicapped Delhi. “Budget for the project is allocated. They have not given any date yet. Next year it will be installed,” he said.  
 “We have replaced coal bukharis with gas heaters as they were hazardous for mentally challenged.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST