Adil Lateef
Srinagar, July 1: The hospitals in Kashmir valley are facing shortage of ventilators resulting in deaths of critically ill patients who desperately need the life support system.
As per medical norms, there should be five ventilators for 100 beds. But, the situation is entirely different in Kashmir and in peripheral hospitals there are no ventilators available.
Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital, Srinagar has only 12 functional ventilators. Out of 12, seven are in surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Over 1000 patients, mostly from far flung areas, visit the hospital daily. “As such there is shortage of ventilators in Kashmir valley. It is like whole valley has dearth of ventilators. Sometimes we refer them to SKIMS but sometimes the SKIMS authorities tell us that they can’t accommodate,” said a doctor at SMHS Hospital.
“The SMHS witnesses not only rush of critical care patients who suffer from different illnesses but also the victims of accidents, grenade blasts and firing incidents,” a senior doctor said, adding: “So, we need to have extra ventilators. Sometimes we provide manual oxygen to the critical patients”.
Aadil Ashraf, president of Resident Doctors Association (RDA) at SMHS, said there is need of additional ventilators in SMHS.
However, the Deputy Medical Superintendent of SMHS Hospital, Dr Kamal Jeet, said there is no shortage of ventilators in the hospital.
The Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) president, Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan, said patients are dying as a result of shortage of ventilators. “There are only a few ventilators in the referral hospitals and peripheral health centres have no facilities of life saving equipments which leave patients in the lurch,” he said.
Dr Nisar said: “There are only 10 ventilators functioning in SMHS and 12 in SKIMS. We work in these hospitals and we are well aware about the reality.”
Officials at SKIMS hospital, Soura said that a total of 30 ventilators are functional in the hospital. However, doctors said there only 16 ventilators which are functional. The Medical Superintendent of SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan, said that the hospital doesn’t face any shortage of ventilators. “Some more ventilators would be functional very soon,” he said.
The lone pediatric hospital of Valley, GB Pant, too faces the shortage of ventilators. There are only 18 functional ventilators.
The Chest Disease Hospital too faces the shortage of ventilators. The hospital has three ventilators. However, the Medical Superintendent Dr Riyaz Ahmad Rangraiz said the hospital will have 7-10 ventilators after the construction of special swine flu ward is completed.
The valley’s lone maternity hospital, Lal Ded, has six ventilators. “But, only five are functional,” an official of the hospital said.
Officials at the 150 bedded Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla said that three ventilators are available in their hospital. However, as per norm, there should be five ventilators per 100 beds.
The official said that man power is very important for the functioning of ventilators. “Nothing would happen if more ventilators are provided by Government. What is important is we should have man power for the functioning of additional ventilators,” they said.
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