New USG machine will be installed soon: Director Health Kashmir
Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Oct 03: Even after passing of more than two months, the ultrasonography machine is lying defunct at the district hospital in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, much to the inconvenience of the patients.
Locals told the news agency that the lone USG machine is lying dysfunctional for the last more than two months, raising many questions on the overall medical-care facilities in the district.
“With no other facility available, patients, especially pregnant women are facing a lot of hardships, due to which they are forced to go to Srinagar or other places,” they said.
They said that a majority of the patients visiting the hospital for treatment come from poor financial backgrounds who cannot afford to pay hefty charges to private laboratories.
“As the USG machine has been lying defunct, they have been running from pillar to post to get their tests done,” Shabir Ahmad, a local said.
Shabir, who had visited the hospital on Saturday with his wife to get USG done, said that he had return back from the hospital only to the USG done at a private clinic as the machine at district hospital was lying defunct, speaking volumes about the callous attitude of the concerned authorities of providing better healthcare facilities.
Locals said that they have brought the issue into the notice of the concerned authorities umpteenth times but nothing on ground has been done so far, thereby making poor patients suffer a lot.
They said that for the last 65 days this machine is lying defunct, yet the authorities are acting as mute spectators to the sufferings of poor patients, visiting the hospital daily.
Meanwhile, an official posted at DH Bandipora said measures are being taken to make the machine operational as they have brought the matter into the notice of higher-ups. “If the machine is not made operational a new one will be installed in place of the defunct machine.”
When contacted, director health services Kashmir, Samir Mattoo said that a new USG machine will be installed in the hospital very soon as he has already spoken to the officials there.
He said that they are also trying to repair the defunct machine but it has not been fixed yet—(KNO)
