No SoP’s, doctors present and all functional in Khyber hospital of Khayam
By: Tariq Shah
Srinagar
Twenty four senior doctors are practicing at Khyber hospital and most of them are working in the government hospitals. While the OPD’s have been closed in some of the hospitals of the government including covid designated hospital of Chest Diseases Hospital of Dalgate, but those very doctors come to this private hospital amid mad rush of patients to make money.
Khyber hospital is daily catering to hundreds of patients who are not being treated in the government run hospitals with senior doctors avoiding such patients under the pretext of covid-19 infection.
Rs 350 is the minimum charge for any patients to be seen by these senior doctors in the OPD of Khyber hospital and hundreds of patients come daily for the treatment as such facilities have been virtually closed in the government run hospitals.
“Irony is that these senior doctors do not visit the wards, do not see the patients in the OPD of government hospitals and get huge salaries. After 4 PM and in the morning hours they are available in all the private nursing homes and hospitals to fleece people”, said Abdul Rashid Dar of Nowhatta who had come with his ailing mother to Khyber hospital.
Khyber pharmacy is doing its business in pandemic without any rebate for poor patients, Pic by Tariq Shah
In the OPD of the Khyber hospital, the rush of patients is so huge that hundreds of their attendants are even without the masks and there are no SoP’s being adhered to as directed by the government. This reporter saw people maintaining no social distance within the Khyber hospital, endangering the lives of attendants and patients alike.
It is in place to mention that Khyber hospital was started as a trust and the people were treated during the initial months free of cost. But soon, it was made into a private hospital by the owners and now even for the consultation fee there is no rebate for the poor people who cannot afford to pay Rs 350 and other higher charges they had to pay for the tests like x-ray, ECG etc.
