Kupwara: Although Sub District Hospital (SDH), Kupwara has been given a DNB accreditation for starting different courses, it still lacks key posts of doctors, resulting in hardships to the patients.
SDH Kupwara is the first Sub District Hospital to get DNB accreditation in the entire country.
With the DNB accreditation for specialties of General Surgery, Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Anaesthesiology, several postgraduate students have joined these disciplines.
The move has decreased the referral rate and at present only a few critical patients are being referred from SDH Kupwara to tertiary hospitals.
The people of Kupwara and adjacent areas are happy over DNB accreditation to SDH Kupwara but demand creation of posts including Consultant ENT, Consultant Radiology, and Consultant Psychiatrist.
The residents said that with the non-availability of an ENT doctor at SDH Kupwara, they had been suffering a lot.
They said that they either had to visit District Hospital Handwara or go for private consultation for ENT-related problems.
“Only a single Radiologist under NHM is working at SDH Kupwara which witnesses a huge rush of patients every day. The doctor posted here carries out USG and other related tests during the day. Had any other Radiologist been posted here, the section would run round the clock. The patients who are supposed to go for USG after 4 pm are compelled to go to private clinics,” Irfan Malik, a civil society member from Main Town Kupwara, told Greater Kashmir.
“Similarly the hospital lacks Consultant Psychiatrist, which also tells upon the functioning of the hospital. At present a Psychiatrist from District Hospital Handwara visits SDH Kupwara two days a week but that does not suffice the need,” Malik said.
According to official details, five posts of Medical Officers are vacant at SDH Kupwara, which puts the burden of overwork on the serving doctors.
In charge Medical Superintendent SDH Kupwara, Dr Muhammad Iqbal Mir told Greater Kashmir that with the shortage of Radiologists, the section cannot be functional round the clock.
“We need two more Radiologists to make the section functional. Presently the section functions from 10 am to 4 pm,” he said.
About the lack of ENT specialists at SDH Kupwara, he said that the post had not been created yet.
“We have taken up the matter with the higher ups. Hopefully, some concrete steps are soon taken in this regard,” Dr Mir said.