Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Feb 12: Seventy percent patients at Super Specialty Hospital, Shireen Bagh Srinagar have to wait for years in case they require surgeries at the facility no matter the nature of the cases in hand.
This reporter met more than 10 patients at the Hospital who are now scheduled for the surgeries in various departments of the hospital. More than 7 were given dates for their surgeries on Wednesday and every date had a gap of 1-year minimum and 2 years maximum.
The hospital, known for only giving out dates to the patients, it always requires an intervention from the higher-ups in order to get hold of a date which does not require a lot of waiting, the people visiting the facility said.
Masooda, 52, told Excelsior that her daughter required a quick check up from a doctor due to the emergency condition, she was not only made to wait for hours, but was also handed over a next date after 4 months.
“I went to SMHS due to some emergency condition, there the doctor after examining told me to go to Shireen Bagh, but here, my daughter was not even examined, but a direct date of the consultation was given 4 months later,” she said.
“This is what people are subjected to when it comes to normal check-up, imagine the plight of those who require undergoing any procedure here, it really takes a lifetime,” said another visitor at the hospital.
Earlier, in August last year, a case of a patient from Pulwama in the Urology department, requiring the removal of his left kidney following the damage caused due to the blockage came to the fore. The patient was in a dire need of surgery but was scheduled for the removal of his damaged kidney in November 2021.
The issue was then taken up by JK Grievance Cell, which then took up the matter with the Divisional Commissioner. The Divisional Commissioner took the matter with the hospital authorities via the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Srinagar, paving a way for the patient to get an early date for the critical surgery.
The facility houses at least 10 critical specialties which include Neuro Surgery, Cardio Vascular Thoracic Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Urology, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Cardiology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Neurology and Clinical Hematology.
The reasons that might be leading to delay in surgeries at the hospital are not clear as the Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Shabir Ahmad Dar, while candidly accepting the fact the patients are given longer dates often, said that there was no dearth of staff at the hospital and that such delays were common.
“We do come across such cases where the patients have been given longer dates, you will have to ask the particular doctor about the reason for such instances,” he said adding that with regard to the manpower, “the hospital is sufficient, we have even increased the number of dates since the time I have taken over.”
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