Labs, equipment defunct for poor patients , Sub-District Hospital of Tral in envelope of corruption and controversies
By: Bhat Shahnawaz
Tral: Dozens of female patients had to finally go to the private labs for the tests as in the Sub-District Hospital of Tral they were told by the technicians that their machines were defunct and they were not having the funds to buy the chemicals and other such material for the tests.
Many female patients told this reporter that they have been coming to the Sub-District Hospital of Tral for days together to get their tests free of cost as being told by the hospital authorities, but finally they are forced by the technicians to go for the tests in the private labs. “There is a nexus between the hospital authorities of Tral and the Private Test Labs. They are deliberately forcing the poor patients of many villages to go for the tests in these private labs were the poor patients are forced to pay for these tests”, Shahida Begum who has been coming to the hospital for these tests.
The hospital authorities claimed that some of the chemicals were not yet purchased which has resulted in delay of many tests. They claimed that many tests were being done in the hospital free of cost and their claim was refuted by the patients outside the hospital by showing their tests done in the private labs.
When contacted, Block Medical Officer (BMO) Tral Dr Govind Singh Mehta told this reporter that their hospital was trying their best to cater to the needs of patients. But the reports within the hospital said that there is dearth of doctors and some of the doctors were posted in the Sub-District Hospital of Tral from the past many years without being transferred. Some of these doctors have managed their stay in this hospital as they are running private clinics along with labs and are fleecing the poor patients from the far-off of villages of Tral.
