‘Lack of vision’ leaves G B Pant Hospital defunct
Sanjeev K Sharma
JAMMU, May 18: With all those at the helm passing the buck on others to save their skins, a 50 bedded hospital, easily accessible at a prime location here is awaiting patients to serve in the tiring time witnessing several falling prey to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic which has unfortunately unleashed its second wave leaving many dead and several infected.
Equipped with most of the facilities of a modern hospital, the GB Pant Hospital at Jammu Cantonment Board has presently been relegated to a COVID vaccination centre.
It is pertinent to mention here that health authorities at present are busy in grappling with inadequate health infrastructure in Jammu due to the surge in COVID deaths and infections and the GB Pant Hospital almost left unused becomes a matter of concern for all right thinking persons.
“Over 2.5 crore is the yearly salary bill of the hospital staff while machinery worth crores is left to rot there only due to poor management and lack of vision of Cantonment Board authorities,” insiders at the G B Pant Hospital informed.
Sources informed that the Hospital is under the control of Defence Estates (a wing of Defence Ministry) and Jammu Cantonment Board manages its affairs.
“Defence Ministry had written to Jammu Cantonment Board in the year 2010 to upgrade the hospital but those at the helm in the Board showed no interest leaving the hospital suffer the apathy,” they further said.
When contacted, Rajesh Bakshi, an elected member of the Cantonment Board claimed that since 2008, when he won election of the Board for first time, he along with others tried hard so that the then State Government may take over the hospital for its betterment but nothing could be materialized.
“The hospital was made in the year 1989 along with the one at Badami Bagh Cantonment Board in Srinagar,” he said adding that the Badami Bagh hospital was handed over to the then State Government in 2003 and it is a mainstream hospital since then, managed by the State Government and Cantonment Board jointly and catering to the needs of many people.
“Unfortunately, same could not be done for G B Pant Hospital Jammu even till date,” Bakshi maintained.
Sources in Cantonment Board said they again and again tried their best and even met former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta with an appeal to apprise the Lieutenant Governor of J&K to facilitate Health Department take over the hospital affairs so that it might be upgraded to cater to the needs of more patients and load on Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar could be reduced but nothing positive emerged.
They also informed that authorities at Cantonment Board tried to contact Lok Sabha Member, Jugal Kishore Sharma and Divisional Commissioner Jammu but none of these people responded to their phone calls.
Meanwhile, defence sources informed that the hospital has generally three doctors with two provided by the J&K Health Department.
“When the Cantonment Board officers met Financial Commissioner, J&K Health and Medical Education, regarding appointment of doctors, the latter deputed a dental doctor, which was not at all required there,” sources claimed adding, apart from this the hospital has a contractual doctor appointed by the Cantonment Board.
Former Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta when contacted said he has already discussed the issue with the Divisional Commissioner Jammu and demanded that OPD (Out Patients Department) should be started at GB Pant Hospital as most of the hospitals in Jammu at present have stopped OPD services for non-COVID patients.
However, the Divisional Commissioner has not taken any initiative in this regard till date.
Former Minister and leader of Gandhi Nagar area, Raman Bhalla when contacted informed that he had already appealed to J&K LG that GB Pant Hospital should be allowed to function for non-COVID patients but no interest has been shown by the authorities in this regard.
He also said that earlier they had a proposal for Mother and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) to be started at GB Pant Hospital but as NOC (No Objection certificate) was not given by the then authorities in this regard, the MCCH was constructed at Gandhi Nagar,
Pawan Singh, Municipal Councillor Ward-23 informed that GB Pant Hospital near Satwari has all what is needed for a good hospital and it is spread in sprawling 16 kanals of land but as it is defunct the needy people have to move to Gandhi Nagar Hospital or to Government Medical College Jammu because at present medical care has become something of dire necessity due to the spike in COVID cases.
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