The maternity section of sub-district hospital (SDH) in Charar-i-Sharief, Budgam is “dysfunctional” for past three days after a pregnant lady discharged from here tested positive for Covid-19 infection.
Immediately after this, 15 officials working in the hospital including theatre staff, doctors and post-operative ward staff were sent to quarantine.
While people in the town are now scared to visit the hospital for their treatment, they are at loss to figure where shall they go in case of any emergency.
“Since the department is not functioning from last few days, we wonder where shall people go if any pregnant lady in the town faces medical emergency?” questions Iqbal Ahmad, a local.
Iqbal added that people of the town are afraid to visit other departments of the hospital too. “People at the helm of affairs should take immediate notice to it. Such negligence can have dire consequences on people of the town,” he said.
Meanwhile, the officials at the sub-district hospital earlier said that the department was “dysfunctional for precautionary purpose”.
On being contacted to Block Medical Officer Charar-i-Sharief Mastoora Iqbal, “My staff are in quarantine waiting for results, moreover the maternity section is partially functioning as of now.”
The BMO appealed the local people of the town not to visit the hospital unnecessarily unless there is an extreme emergency.
Mastoora also blamed the discharged Covid-19 patient for hiding her Covid-19 medical records.