Decision of the authorities to install an oxygen plant at a COVID19 wellness centre here instead of Government Medical College (GMC) has evoked resentment from civil society.
Principal, GMC has issued a tender notice for installation of Micro-Processor based Medical Gas Concentrator plant of 350 LPM (minimum) capacity at COVID19 centre at Indoor Stadium, Khawjabagh. The Stadium was recently converted into the Wellness Centre to manage coronavirus patients with mild symptoms. It is equipped with facilities for collection of samples of suspected COVID19 patients and to ensure their stay at the Centre. But there are no other health facilities available for patients at the Centre.
On the other hand the GMC Baramulla has all the required facilities like CT scan, X-Ray, analysers, prompting the demand by the locals that the oxygen plant should be installed at the College. “All facilities have been set-up at the GMC. If a patient at Wellness Centre requires CT scan or X-ray, he needs to be shifted to the GMC which is one-and-half km from. So it is better to keep an area inside the GMC for COVID 19 patients where at least 50-70 such patients can be accommodated and provided complete treatment under one roof,” said Irshad Ahmad, a member of civil society.
The College at present is working as non-COVID hospital. There has been consistent demand from the civil society members that keeping in view the rush of COVID19 patients, the GMC besides Sub-District Hospital Sopore need to be strengthen infrastructure wise so that the rush of COVID19 patients to Srinagar hospital was minimised.
“The administration needs to empower the COVID hospitals in each district. If we have all the facilities available for the COVID19 patients at GMC Baramulla then why we do not earmark an area within the GMC for COVID patients so that they are benefitted within one roof,” said Mudasir Naqishbhandi, another civil society member. There has been growing demand that if the COVID19 section at tertiary care hospitals at Srinagar are led by the chest medicine specialists then why GMC hospital was not led by such specialists despite availability of the doctors.
Principal, GMC, Baramulla, Dr Abdul Hamid said installment of oxygen plant at the Stadium was “temporary.” He said once corona pandemic is over, the plant will be relocated to the GMC. “We have facilities like portable digital X-Ray at the Wellness Centre. The Centre is being developed as a COVID19 hospital. Moreover, we are planning two oxygen plants each for the Wellness Centre as well as GMC Baramulla,” he said.