Srinagar, Sep 20: A J&K Bank automated teller machine in the premises of SKIMS, Soura, here, is giving tough time to customers mostly comprising of patients visiting the institute and attendants, as the machine remains out of service for most of the times.
 The tertiary care hospital in the Valley remains abuzz with visitors to the hospital and its staffers throughout day and night. “This is a place where you need a facility like ATM the most. Yet the machine installed here most of the time does not work or remains short of cash,” the patients complained.
 “The non-working of the machine creates lot of inconvenience to the attendants/patients and even the staffers,” an employee of the institute said, while pointing towards the machine that was displaying “error message” at the moment.
 The attendants said besides fixing the problem of the machine, “there is need for at least one more ATM at the place so that people visiting the hospital don’t have wait for long durations at the single ATM here.”
 Sources said the J&K Bank had earlier approached the SKIMS management asking for a small space to install one more ATM inside the institute to lessen the burden on the existing ATM there. “But so far the management has not responded to the proposal of the bank,” they said.
 However, the SKIMS management denied that it had received any such proposal. “We have so far received no such proposal from the JK Bank. If they suggest something like that we will definitely consider it, as it is for the welfare of patients, attendants and even the staff,” a senior official of SKIMS said.
Exorbitant parking charges
 Mal-functioning of the ATM is not the only problem the patients and attendants complain against. The visitors to the hospital also protest against “exorbitant parking fee” at SKIMS.
 The attendants said the parking fee is being charged arbitrarily. “We don’t understand how they charge Rs 20 for four wheelers and Rs 10 for two-wheelers as parking fee, when at other hospitals in the Valley or for that matter almost all other parking slots the charges are Rs 10 and Rs 5 respectively,” the attendants said.
 “People come here not for any entertainment. So there is no justification for charging exorbitantly on account of parking fee,” they said.
 Officials of SKIMS said: “Our hands are tied. We cannot do anything in this regard as the parking service has been outsourced.”

Lastupdate on : Thu, 20 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST