SRINAGAR: In Kashmir, a place used to tensions for one or the other reason, the crisis always had a joint stakeholding. Technically, it never belonged to the government or to the civil society alone. The Covid-19 pandemic is just the recent instance.

Visiting top Health Department officials including Director and his Deputy with the Shadab Hospital staff

In Shopian, for instance, a promoter of a private hospital, Shadab Memorial Hospital converted it into the first non-governmental facility for the patients infected by the virus. While managing the patient load, the promoter peronally was infected by the virus.

“At that time when there was fear of Covid-19 among common people, my staff members showed courage and made all-out efforts to deal with it,” promoter Mir Faizan said. “In the line of duty, I also contracted Covid-19 infection.”

Shadab Memorial Hospital is an entrepreneurial venture that Faizan did with the support and sponsorship of the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI), under the Seed Capital Fund Scheme. The hospital got into operations in 2019. In the last two years, it has done certain things beyond a private hospital especially in identifying and early intervention in diseases like Hepatitis B and C.

The hospital currently managed by 30 skilled and non-skilled employees.

Faizan Mir, the promoter of the Shadab Hospital in Shopian.

Last week, Faizan volunteered to help people when he opened the hospital for patients of District Hospital Shopian in wake of a fire incident in a part of its in-patient department. Those shifted in an emergency situation included pregnant women, new born babies and patients in ost-surgery care.

“All the patients were treated free of cost. I paid for their medicines and food out of my pocket,” Faizan said. All these patients have now been discharged from the hospital.

Last year, post-August 5, 2019, when all communication channels were shut, Faizan kept his hospital open, a move for which he has received appreciation from the district administration Shopian. Shopian Development Commissioner has recommended his name be considered for an award for his hospital’s “proactive role and services” in the aftermath of abrogation of Article 370.

“During the recent turmoil, the entrepreneur kept the operation theatres of his hospital open 24×7 and catered to the referrals from district hospitals and Community Health Centres,” the recommendation letter issued by DDCShopian reads.

The Hospital is equipped with C-ARM facilities to operate upon Orthopaedic and Urology patients. It has ventilators, X-Ray,  ECG and USG machines along with Pathology laboratory and laparoscope and baby incubators. The hospital is being upgraded to 50 beds capacity along with three new major and one minor operation theatres.

Earlier this year, Shadab Memorial Hospital made a mark for itself by operating Super-speciality and high-risk Onco-Urology and Ortho (Spine) surgeries with the introduction of high-end Laparoscope and C-ARM machines for the first time in south Kashmir.

Swift action by the hospital after a study on the patients helped Directorate of Health Services to identify life-threatening Methemoglobinemia disease in Karewa Shadaab area of Shopian district.

Shadab Memorial Hospital in Shopian. The private sector hospital is the outcome of JKEDI’s Seed Capital Fund Scheme.

A team of physicians associated with the Hospital including Dr Malik Nasir, Dr Mohsin Malik, Dr Qurat ul Ain Rather received several patients with the diagnosis of (Methemoglobinemia) who were then referred to Srinagar for further treatment.

Methemoglobinemia (congenital or acquired) occurs when red blood cells (RBCs) contain methemoglobin at levels higher than 1%. Methemoglobin results from the presence of iron in the ferric form instead of the usual ferrous form. This results in a decreased availability of oxygen to the tissues. Symptoms are proportional to the methemoglobin level and include skin colour changes and blood colour changes at levels up to 15%. As levels rise above 15%, neurologic and cardiac symptoms arise as a consequence of hypoxia. Levels higher than 70% are usually fatal.

An elated Director at the JKEDI, G M Dar has expressed his happiness over the work done by entrepreneurs like Mir Faizan.

“Faizan’s efforts in his line of activity are commendable. It is a proud moment for the institute and I hope he continues the good work,” Dar said.

He said JKEDI shall always be at the forefront to fulfil its mandate of creating a business ecosystem for the budding entrepreneurs of Jammu & Kashmir.

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