After a delay of over 14 years, Kashmir will finally have a full-fledged hospital for children.
Thisbecame possible after the State Administrative Council (SAC) approvedallocation of the entire bed-capacity of the under-construction hospital atBemina for pediatric use.
“Sanction is herebyaccorded to conversion of whole complex of 200-bedded maternity hospital and300-bedded pediatric hospital at Bemina Srinagar into a full-fledged childrenhospital,” reads an order issued by State Health and Medical EducationDepartment today.
The order was issuedfollowing the decision of SAC on 29 May, in this regard.
Theallocation of entire space of the under-construction hospital at Bemina forpediatric use had been proposed by the Government Medical College (GMC)Srinagar several times in the past in view of the gross shortage of availablespace for pediatric healthcare needs in Kashmir.
Currently, the”ill-planned” GB Pant Hospital, where the Children Hospital had been shifted”temporarily” from Hazuri Bagh in 2005, is unable to suffice the needs of 30lakh pediatric population of Kashmir, forcing doctors to admit two or morepatients on one bed or crib.
In addition, the spaceshortage has also halted development of pediatric specialties such as pediatricophthalmology, pediatric surgery, pediatric psychiatry and others.
FinancialCommissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo said that the decisionwas taken considering the “impending need for pediatric hospital in Kashmir”.
He said that conversion ofthe space of the hospital, which was originally conceived as a Government ofIndia- funded maternity hospital, had been “discussed and deliberated” uponwith Union Health Ministry. “We have adequate funding for the hospital and weexpect the civil works to get completed by end of this year,” he said.
He added that work onrecruitment of additional manpower and procurement of equipment would becarried out simultaneously.
Prof Kaiser Ahmed,Principal GMC Srinagar and head of Pediatrics Department of the College, termedthe decision a “milestone” for the healthcare in Kashmir.
“Therewas a dire need for a full-fledged pediatric hospital in Kashmir and Governmenthas recognized and addressed it,” he said. He said that a team of pediatricspecialists and engineers was being constituted to frame a plan for conversionof the space.
“We would just need theground floor to be re-worked,” he said adding that the work would now beexpedited given the “clear path ahead” for the facility. He said that thehospital will be developed as Institute of Pediatric Health and will have allspecialties needed for pediatric healthcare needs under one roof.
Thefate of the pediatric hospital has been in limbo for a long time and frequentchange of plans marred any progress on the facility for the past one decade, asenior healthcare administrator said. He said that while a “good childrenhospital” existed at Hazuri Bagh till 2005, the space was given to Lal DedHospital and a 150-bedded space at Sonwar allocated to pediatrics, thearrangement termed “temporary” by the then government.
However, till 2012, no workwas carried out on constructing a new pediatric hospital. Following the crisiswhen over 500 infants died at GB Pant Hospital, a government panel recommendedimmediate construction of a well-equipped hospital.
InOctober 2014, Omar Abdullah government approved construction of pediatrichospital at Dewan Bagh Srinagar. A year later, Mufti Sayeed government approvedconstruction of a 200-bedded Pediatric Hospital within the upcoming Maternity Hospital at Bemina.