Anantnag M&CC Hospital lacks facility for even urine tests

The lone Maternity and Childcare Hospital (M&CCH) here was recently upgraded as associated hospital of Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag. The institute is ideally meant to provide round-the-clock maternity and childcare facilities to entire south Kashmir which is spread over four districts.

But the hospital, which runs from a dilapidated buildingconstructed decades ago lacks most of the facilities, forcing doctors to refereven minor cases which can be handled at the hospital to Srinagar healthinstitutes which are already overburdened.

   

A doctor said the hospital does not have a blood bank,ventilators for running ICU, analyzers and laparoscope – the facilities crucialfor the child and mother care.

“The blood- bank is an important component of obstetrics butironically the institute still lacks it,” said the doctor, adding the bloodstorage unit was defunct for long time.

Highlighting the callousnessof the authorities the blood units are stored in refrigerators, which accordingto the doctor puts to risk the lives of pregnant woman and infants.

Another doctor said the hospital does not have an Intensiveand Neonatal Care Units (INCU) although a specialist neonatologist is postedhere.

In absence of the facility the doctor’s services remainunutilized as newborns are often referred to the city hospital.

“Thisis one of the major reasons for infant mortalities at the hospital,” assertedthe doctor.

The hospital has a “biochemistry lab”. But it does not havean analyzer – the basic requirement for running the lab.

“We only have CBC analyzer and that too does not functionproperly. The investigations like KFT, LFT, lipid profile tests are donemanually,” said the doctor.

The patients have to pay between Rs 800 to Rs 1000 to getthese tests done at private diagnostic laboratories.

The patients in need of laparoscope surgeries are referred toSrinagar as the hospital caters to only obstetrics requirements – LSCS and ligation.

The patients in need of gynecological procedures likeelective hysterectomy are not admitted at the hospital owing to the lack of themachinery.

There is no Doppler facility and the patients have to spendRs 1,500 at private diagnostic centers to get the test done.

“There is even no facility for carrying out urine and bloodcultures at the hospital. The tests cost around Rs 600 at the private centers,”the doctor said.

ThePrincipal GMC Anantnag Dr Showkat Jeelani admitted lack of facilities at thehospital, but gave a bizarre response to address them.

“The issues can be addressed only once the hospital isshifted at a suitable place,” he said, adding the hospital was functioning froman old dilapidated building which lacks adequate space for installing thefacilities.

ThePrincipal, however, said they have started conducting hysterectomies at thehospital.

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