Srinagar, Oct 19: At a time when patients are going through difficult times to get medical attention due to the junior doctors’ strike and see the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, as their only hope, the security staff posted at the Institute’s entry gate leave no stone unturned to harass their attendants and visitors.

Entry ticket ‘racket’
 Patients allege that, in connivance with the ticket counter officials, the security staff at the entry gate force them to buy tickets as many times as they enter the hospital during day or night and in most cases the tickets are fake.
 The alleged nexus between security staff and counter officials came to light on Monday when an attendant, Bilal Ahmed (name changed) of Batmaloo, objected to the coercive sale of tickets by the uniformed personnel at about 4.30 pm.
 For pointing to the flaws in the distribution and sale of the tickets by the counter officials, Bilal was thrashed by the security officials, of whom he identified one as Saqib Fayaz.
 “Since I was not given any pass by the hospital administration at the time of my son’s admission three days ago, on the pretext of non-availability, I had to buy a ticket for Rs 5 every time I went out to purchase life saving drugs,” said Bilal, who pleaded not be identified fearing reprisal.
 Furious but gloomy Bilal dumped his anger for the obvious reasons. Attendants like Gulshan Begum from a Kangan village had their share of horrifying experience on the day Bilal was harassed for raising an accusing finger at the securitymen.
 Impoverished Gulshan accompanying her ailing minor son Monday morning had to go on a virtual spree of buying tickets.
 “I don’t know who has kept these inhuman fellows at the gate where humans are being treated. I was asked to buy tickets thrice as I had to come out to buy medicines,” she said, adding she had to cough up Rs 15 on tickets although she didn’t have enough money to buy the medicines.
 Several attendants demanded an inquiry into the distribution of tickets and accountability of officials manning the ticket counter.
 When contacted, the medical superintendent, Dr Amin Tabish, told Greater Kashmir that the JK police was providing the security during the days of strike.

‘Will take action’
 However, SHO, Police Station, Soura, Abdul Majeed, said, “If anybody has a complaint against the security personnel in the Institute, he should approach us and we will take action.”
 The SKIMS director, Dr Abdul Hamid Zargar, assured that he would initiate action against the security staff involved and also inquire into the allegations of ticket sale.