Srinagar, Mar 28: Absence of institutionalized financial aid and proper medicare for recovery is devouring the lives of injured civilians who survived initial trauma during the past 20 years of conflict in the valley.
 A look at the deaths since the beginning of conflict reveals that hundreds of civilians wounded in protests or explosions are dying silently, owing to the absence of proper financial aid for their treatment and dearth of mutli-specialty and supportive care.
 Since 2008, four civilians including a woman, who were injured or tortured by forces, died after they initially survived the injuries.
 Tanveer Ahmad of old Srinagar who was injured in police firing during the widespread protests that erupted across the Valley in wake of transfer of land in 2008 died on March 22, 2010. Manzoor Ahmed Bhat of Drangbal Baramulla who was wounded in CRPF firing in June 2009 passed away in January 2010. Arif Ahmad Bhat, 14, who was critically wounded in police shelling in 2009 died in November last year. The latest victim Haneefa of Kreeri, injured in police firing, passed away a few days ago.
 Most of the victims injured in 2010 unrest had to bear treatment expenses themselves as government did not provide any financial aid to them. Even some of the families issued advertisements in newspapers for getting donations to get the injured treated.
 Dr Suhail Yaqoob, a trauma surgeon told Greater Kashmir that after the initial injury, critical patients who survive need a “high dependency care.”
 "This is particular in case of patients with spinal cord, head injury and polytrauma. They usually develop nutritional deficiency and complications related to immobilization. Their various complications include respiratory tract infections, urinary infections, bed sores etc, which all multiply and compound their complications," he said.
 Such patients, he said, need physical as well as mental support.
  While as state Government has provisions to pay compensation for violence related killings, there is no such provision to bear the expenses of the injured ones.
 The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Asghar Samoon, admitted that there was little financial help for the injured.
 “The maximum amount in cases of permanent disability is Rs 75000 and there is dire need of increasing it,” he said.
 About the extent of compensation paid to injured of 2010 unrest, he said it was given as per the extent of injury.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST