Srinagar, May 18: The ongoing construction work at SMHS hospital is giving tough time to patients and attendants. The main hospital entrance has been closed for around past two week’s owing to repairs and laying of flooring.
 As a result, the critical patients who are being shifted to emergency care have to take a long route, which as per health experts, could aggravate their problem further.
 According to doctors, the patients who need emergency care are quite delicate cases and demand proper care.
 “The patients have to go round the building under open sky, which consumes precious time. It is quite difficult to move patient on the uneven road,” said a medico.  
 They said the work could have been completed by starting double-shifts.
 Interestingly, the route undertaken by the patients is secluded, especially during night, as there are huge bushes, and dogs on prowl around.
 An attendant carrying oxygen cylinder on his shoulder while shifting the stretcher complained that they had to spend half an hour to reach the destination.
 Sources said some work on the same corridor was done earlier as well. “It appears fishy why they (hospital authorities) did not repair this corridor that time. It was closed earlier as well for fixing tiles. Authorities are taking hospital work as some routine road or drainage repair,” they said adding “the hospital staff has brought this in to the notice of higher-ups as well’.
 Principal Government Medical College Srinagar Dr Shahida Mir admitted that the patients face inconvenience due to the ongoing work.
 But she passed the buck on Roads and Building department.
 “There is no doubt that patients are not suffering… The work was taken up by R&B department and we’re pressurizing them to get it done urgently,” she said.
 When contacted the MOS R&B Javeed Ahmad Dar said the matter would be looked into.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 May 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 IST