Budgam: Budgam tops in the maternity related patient referral ratio putting a big question mark on the very health of the health sector of the district.
The patient referral rate, revealed under an RTI, in the district and sub-district hospitals of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district has painted a grim picture of the health sector here.
In response to an RTI filed by this reporter, the Public Information Officer at Lal Ded (LD) maternity hospital revealed that Budgam hospitals have referred highest number of maternity patients to LD hospital, Srinagar as compared to other nine districts of Kashmir region.
According to the figures obtained under the RTI, a copy of which lies with the ‘Kashmir Images’, the hospitals in Budgam district have referred 1398 maternity patients to LD hospital in 2016 and 1605 in 2017.
“In patient referrals, district Budgam is followed by Kupwara which has referred 1304 patients in 2016 and 1598 in 2017,” reveal the figures in the RTI.
Figures obtained under RTI further reveal that the LD hospital has received 8241 patients from different Valley hospitals in 2016 and 10,074 in 2017.
According to the data sought under RTI, the hospitals in district Kulgam have referred very less number of patients to LD maternity hospital in the last two years, with 282 patients in 2016 and 288 in 2017.
“The hospitals in district Ganderbal have maintained second lowest figure, which have referred 358 patients in 2016 and 425 in 2017. By referring 1225 maternity patients in 2016 and 1598 in 2017 to LD in Srinagar, South Kashmir’s Anantnag stood second highest in patient referrals,” reveals the RTI data.
Medical sources in the district Budgam said that due to non-availability of 24×7 Operation Theater at district and sub-district hospitals here, most of the patients are being sent to LD hospital for the treatment.
“The Operation theaters function here from 10 am to 4 pm only and thereupon patients are referred to Srinagar.”
They further said that there is also a space crunch in Budgam hospitals that leads to the highest number of patient referrals.
