Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Feb 23: Two Associated Hospitals of Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, operating in the district have so far failed to set up the facility through which the required diet could be provided to the admitted patients.
Due to the absence of this facility, the attendants of the patients are left with no option but to fetch meals from hotels and eateries operating outside the Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beigh Memorial (MMABM) District Hospital situated at Janglat Mandi.
Those who reside near the hospital, or at a distance from which they can get meals, ensure they receive food from their homes regularly for their patients. However, those from far-flung areas rely on the hotels outside the hospital.
In case of bad weather and other exigencies, some local NGOs provide meals to both attendants and patients. However, largely, with the necessary kitchen facility remaining absent at the hospital, people have been left to fend for themselves.
It is to be noted here that at MMABM District Hospital-which is an associated hospital of GMC, Anantnag-nearly 250 patients remain admitted at a time in different wards, and all of them face difficulties in getting the proper food.
Locals said that occasionally, some local organizations provide free meals to attendants who then share the food with their patients as well.
“For the in-patients, at least, they should provide the necessary meals; there are other hospitals in Kashmir where meals are provided to the patients, why not here; the quality of the food outside cannot be trusted, and we have no option but to feed it to patients,” asked one of the attendants of a patient.
A somewhat similar situation exists at the Maternity & Child Care (MCC) Hospital Shairbagh-another associated hospital-where only pregnant women are provided meals as part of the scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM).
While the official of the hospital told Excelsior that apart from providing the diet to the pregnant women under the NHM Scheme, they are also covering other patients; however, on the ground, it was found that other gynaecological patients are mostly left out.
The Principal GMC, Anantnag, did not respond to repeated calls from Excelsior, however, Medical Superintendent, MMABM Hospital, Dr. Muzaffar Sherwani said that they have started the process and soon the facility to ensure diet to patients will be set up.
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