Srinagar, Sept 7: Police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force Tuesday hindered movement of ambulances, affecting the transportation of patients and staff to the SK Institute of Medical Sciences and SMHS hospital, medicos alleged.
Several ambulance drivers, who spoke to Greater Kashmir, said police and paramilitary forces didn’t permit them to move in different localities, asking for curfew passes.
The forces, they said, had erected barricades and placed concertina wire across the city. “Near Safakadal, cops asked me not to proceed toward the hospital as there was curfew in place,” said Muhammad Shafi (name changed), who runs a SKIMS ambulance. “I told them that I am ferrying staff to the hospital. But they refused and instead started abusing me.”
At several places, Shafi said, the ambulance drivers were asked to remove the concertina wire themselves. “One of my colleagues was dragged out of the ambulance and asked to remove the barricade. He had a patient in the ambulance,” Shafi said.
His views were endorsed by the SKIMS administration which said the security forces harassed the SKIMS employees and prevented them from discharging their duty. “Most of the SKIMS vehicles, ambulances including doctor’s vehicles were not given safe passage to and from SKIMS by security forces today,” said the Director SKIMS, Dr Abdul Hameed Zargar, in a statement here. “Employees were not only harassed but many had to return back home without discharging their duties. Many doctors, nurses and paramedics expressed anger and resentment against this behaviour of security forces particularly J K Police.”
Zargar said it would be difficult to run optimal services if security forces continued to behave like this.
The administrators of the SMHS hospital had a similar tale to tell. “Our ambulances drivers complained of severe harassment of staff by the forces at different places,” said a hospital official, insisting not to be named.
Abdul Hameed (name changed), an ambulance driver, said forces beat him up near Palhalan Pattan. “They stopped the ambulance and asked me to get down. They started beating me,” he said, adding he sustained injuries in left leg.
Pertinently, it is not for the first time that the forces have hindered the movement of ambulances, some of which carry the critical patients.
A SKIMS official said since June 11, when the current unrest in Kashmir began, the harassment by forces had become a routine. “The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah must personally intervene and hold the cops, who hinder movement of vehicles, accountable. Scores of patients would die if this trend continues,” he told Greater Kashmir.
Pertinently, the hospital administrators have been making repeated requests to the people and forces not to attack ambulances, and instead give a safe passage to them.
At several places, street protesters have also attacked the ambulances and hindered their movement. However, they refrained from doing so after the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani made a passionate appeal to people to not attack the ambulances as it concerns the life of a citizen.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 8 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST