Three critically ill patients including a pregnant lady werein dire need of evacuation from Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district asthe only road connecting the remote valley with the outside world remainsclosed for last two months.
Relatives of these patients told Greater Kashmir over phonethat they needed to be immediately evacuated by air.
“Out of three patients two are admitted in sub-districthospital Dawar while another on is at a local health facility in Bagtore area,”one of them said.
Residents of Gurez say a chopper service started for theremote area since the closure of the 84-km Bandipora-Gurez road is irregularcompounding prospects of evacuating the critically ill patients to Srinagar.
The crucial road connecting the frontier area was closed onJanuary 2 due to heavy snowfall closing the Razdan Pass.
One of the critical patients, Nazima Begum, wife of JaffarAhmad resident of Kanzalwan Gurez was admitted to SDH Dawar on February 11 butwas immediately referred to a Srinagar hospital by doctors as she had shownsome grave complications but she is still at SDH Dawar.
A doctor at SDH Dawar said Nazima is 9 months pregnant withbad obstacle history and needs to be immediately evacuated to address someserious complications she has developed.
Another patient, Hajra Begum wife of Abdul Gaffar Loneresident of Churwan Gurez was also admitted in SDH Dawar in a criticalcondition and needs to be evacuated immediately to an advanced medicalfacility.
Family members of these patients alleged that on Thursday achopper landed in Gurez to evacuate stranded passengers and patients but atehsildar transferred out got himself on the sortie so he could join his newposting.
“Both Hajira and Nazima were taken down from the chopperyesterday as the tehsildar got himself accommodated. We were sent back andhospital authorities re-admitted the two patients at SDH Dawar. The chopper canaccommodate only 4 to 5 persons in one sortie and to accommodate the Tehsildarwe were thrown out,” a family member alleged.
“The administration has put the lives of these patients inrisk.”
Jaffar Ahmad, husband of Nazima said that she was admittedat SDH February 11 and was referred to Srinagar hospital for specialisedtreatment as her condition worsened.
“But due to the closure of Bandipora-Gurez road andirregular chopper service, she could not be evacuated,” he said.
Relatives and family members of these patients appealedauthorities to intervene and save their lives.
Another critically ill patient Bilal Ahmad son of AbdulJabbar Ahanger of Bagtore is admitted in a primary healthcare facility in thevillage.
Block medical officer Gurez, Dr. Tahira said a freshrequisition was sent to the administration for evacuating two critically illpatients from SDH Dawar to Srinagar.
“Yesterday (Thursday) we had shifted them to Dawar helipadfor evacuation but they were sent back and we had to re-admit them here. Now wehave made a fresh requisition for their evacuation,” she said, adding a requestwas also made by another patient Bilal to airlift him from Kanzalwan helipad ashis village Bagtore is too far from main Dawar.