Srinagar, Mar 16: The authorities at SK Institute of Medical Sciences Medical College Hospital at Bemina have stopped all the cold (scheduled surgeries) and shifted the pregnant women to another maternity hospital for delivery.
 Sources said the measure, taken by the administration due to non-availability of anesthetists, caused huge inconvenience to the expecting mothers and their attendants.
 “The pregnant women admitted in the labour room of the hospital were shifted to Lal Ded for delivery,” they said adding the attendants of patients raised hue and cry over the matter, but the authorities remained adamant.
 They said the administration had also stopped any fresh admissions in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department. Sources said the maternity wing used to admit 14 pregnant women, but for the past few days, the labour room wears a deserted look. “The hospital referred the patients coming from Sopore, Kupwara, Budgam, Tangmarg and Sumbal to Lal Ded without citing any substantial reason,” they said.
 According to them, other allied departments of the hospital were also severely hit due to the lack of anesthetist. “The cold surgeries in the Departments of Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Surgery and ENT have also been stopped,” sources said adding the patients were suffering immensely due to the lackadaisical attitude of the administration towards the matter.
 They said the Anesthesia department got defunct after three consultants left it. “They left the Department for some unknown reasons,” sources added.
 The doctors in the hospital are also aghast over the silence maintained by the administration over the issue. “The hospital is on highway and if any accidental trauma will come for surgery, the surgeon might have to refer them to another hospital,” they said adding the sole response of anything would be solely on the authorities. They said anesthetists were essential part of any surgical procedures and the theatres had been defunct due to their absence.
 When contacted, the Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Nazir Ahmad acknowledged that the cold surgeries had been stopped due to shortage of doctors in anesthesia department. “We have surgeons Orthopedics and other departments, but there is shortage of anesthetists,” he said.
 Dr Nazir however said the emergency surgeries were carried out in the hospital.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST