by Muskan Beigh
SRINAGAR: The newly opened 500-bedded Children’s Hospital Bemina lacks a full-fledged medical shop along with no resting place for the attendants of the patients.
Last week, Kashmir’s lone pediatric hospital was shifted from G.B Pant Hospital in Sonwar to Bemina due to which the attendants are suffering.
The lack of transport facilities for the patients coming in from south Kashmir areas has also come up as a new issue with Bemina being an off-route destination for them.
A south Kashmir patient’s attendant said, “The government completely transferred the hospital to Bemina without thinking about the patients from south Kashmir. The Bemina facility is good for people from Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore areas but not for us.”
“Everyone doesn’t have a personal vehicle. My child fell sick and I had difficulty reaching Bemina hospital where there is no facility of a Sarai (resting centre) for patients,” the attendant said, adding that he had difficulty getting medicines due to the lack of a medical shop at the new hospital.
Medical Superintendent children’s hospital Dr Nazir Choudary said that all the emergency medicines are available at Bemina Hospital. “Patients can bring other medicines from any medical store. We have kept the public canteen at Bemina Hospital.”
He said the Health Department has already taken up the matter of building a Sarai with the government. “It will take time to build a Sarai for the people.”
