Chest Disease Hospital of Dalgate with OPD closed has patients on the road
By: Tariq Shah
Srinagar
Chest Disease Hospital of Dalgate has been designated as the covid hospital of Srinagar. While the attendants of covid patients alleged outside the hospital that they have no place to sit for the night and have to hire the rooms outside the hospital at their own cost and most of them do not get the room forcing them to remain in the corridors of the hospital for the night.
“We have no place for the night. Because of the stigma attached with covid disease most of the people refuse to give us room. We have to spend the nights in the corridors of the hospital” said Muhammad Aslam who had come to Dalgate market to purchase the medicines.
While the condition of the hospital is pathetic inside, the attendants of covid patients have alleged that the patients are not getting the due treatment and also most of the senior doctors avoid coming to the patients inside the wards.
Closed OPD of Chest Disease Hospital of Dalgate forcing the patients to go to the private clinics of senior doctors of this hospital Pic By Tariq Shah
“Most of the time either paramedical staff members or even the sweepers come with wearing aprons and come to see the covid patients. Senior doctors are never available as they are busy in private practice” said Hajra Begum who has an ailing father in hospital.
Dozens of patients who are suffering from Chest disease are coming during these days of autumn for the treatment as they used to come every year.
OPD stands closed in the Chest Disease Hospital of Dalgate and the patients are coming from different villages of Kashmir for the treatment here and have to go back to the villages. Most of the time, they are approached by the touts of senior doctors who are placed in chest disease hospitals and are given the addresses of private clinics of these doctors.
On Tuesday morning this reporter saw many ladies outside the Chest Disease Hospital of Dalgate and they were looking for the doctors for their annual checkup.
One of them identified herself as Khatija Begum of Shopain who was waiting for the doctors and finally she went to the nearby medical shop of chest disease hospital and the owner of the shop gave her medicine on the previous prescription of the hospital.
Patients have appealed to authorities to inform them through the media that how they can get treated for their different chest ailments in the current season in absence of any OPD available for them.
