MCH Hospital Anantnag and the Dilemma of its Shifting
Maternity and Child Care hospital (MCH) located at Sherbag Anantnag has always been in news for various reasons pertaining to its functioning and effective delivery of Health Care Services. The Hospital authorities and the staff posted at MCH Hospital under Gynecology and Pediatrics Departments of Govt Medical College Anantnag are trying their best to provide better and quality Health Care services to the people of south Kashmir. However, lack of adequate space and safety reasons are hampering the effective delivery of the services which need Urgent and long term measures and must be the Priority of administration.
Current Problem
The most pressing problem at here is the lack of adequate space for its smooth and effective functioning. The hospital is hosted in two old buildings which have been declared unsafe by Fire and Emergency Departments many years ago as has been reported in various newspapers from time to time. The buildings are in such dilapidated conditions that water seepage problems from washrooms and roaming of giant rats are terrifying patients and attendants alike.
The hospital has been functioning for last three decades without proportionate expansion of the its premises/beds strength due to space constraints while as the population has increased exponentially over these years. As the hospital is catering to whole of the south Kashmir with over 30Lacs population including people from Ramban, Banihal and Kisthwar Districts, the hospital, however, has presently only one operation theatre and has acute shortage of beds for antenatal, postnatal and Post operative care. It has been frequently seen that two to three Patients are being allotted one bed. There is not enough space in OPD building, neither for expansion of Pediatric beds, no adequate space at registration counters besides no parking facility for the staff, patients and their attendants. The approach roads leading to Sherbag hospital are very narrow and many times it becomes difficult for patients to reach the hospital on time, even ambulances have been seen getting stuck up in traffic Jams and keeping the patients in Lurch.
Rehmate Alam Hospital
The Government took a decision, few years back, to shift the Hospital to Rehmate Alam Trust Hospital located at Sarnal, KP road Anantnag and construction was started there and everybody in south Kashmir was happy to hear about shifting of the hospital to this new place. But unfortunately IIT Jammu hired to audit the safety of the already constructed buildings at Rehmate Alam Hospital declared it unsafe for hospital use and construction was stopped thereafter.
Urgent need of Makeshift hospital
To cater to the huge population and rush of patients of South Kashmir and as MCH Hospital Sherbag Anantnag being the only dedicated Maternity and Child Care hospital in whole of the south Kashmir, there is urgent need to increase Gynecology and Pediatrics bed strength, more hi-tech operation theatres, Neonatal ICU, adequate OPD space, New registration counters, adequate parking facility for the staff and patients is the Urgent need of the hour.
Short Term measures
Short term measures are urgently needed to be taken by the District Administration and GMC authorities to live upto the expectations of the general public and to provide better and quality health care services to the needy people. I suggest the Govt to convert the Top three floors of the recently inaugurated Multi-Level Parking facility at Janglatmandi into make-shift MCH Hospital whilst the ground floor can still act as parking facility for the hospital. If there is a political and administrative will this can be done in 3 to 4 weeks time. The place thereby left vacant at Sherbag hospital can be converted into District TB Centre and parking facility.
Another option is to speed up the under construction hospital building at Janglatmandi Anantnag and convert its 1st two floors into MCH hospital. The construction agency must speed up the work for the same which is lacking presently. It is also a possibility to shift pediatric department of MCH hospital to Old Hospital building at Janglatmandi Anantnag and handover the space vacated by pediatric dept at MCH Hospital to Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Department which may ease out the things for some time.
Long term Solution
As the population is rising day by day so is the need to upgrade our health care facilities to live upto the rising health care demands and Maternity and Child Care in particular. The vision has to be long term to meet the emerging and upcoming challenges. Construction of new hospital buildings at Rehmate Alam Trust hospital must start without wasting any further time and District and Union Territory Authorities in coordination with authorities of GMC Anantnag must take up the issue strongly in the larger Public Interest.
Furthermore, there is urgent need to build five hundred bedded hospital at Dialgam Anantnag which can act as Tertiary care hospital of Govt Medical College Anantnag so that no patient be referred to already over burdened GMC Srinagar or SKIMS Soura Srinagar in future. Moreover, there is urgent need to restore District hospital Anantnag in analogy to JLNM hospital in Srinagar and Ghandinagar hospital in Jammu. It is requested to the Governmemt to Club the Trauma Hospital and Sub-District Hospitals located at Bijbehera together and convert it into District hospital Anantnag. This will definitely lessen the load of patients received by GMC Anantnag from arious Sub District Hospitals as District Hospital Bijbehera can act as 1st referral for patients of Sub-District Hospitals while as Govt Medical College Hospital Anantnag can act as secondary or tertiary care Referral hospital.
Moreover there is urgent need for a separate state of art Pediatric hospital laced with Pediatric ICU, Neonatal ICU and Pediatric Operation Theatres at South Kashmir which can act as referral hospital for Anantnag, Kulgam, most of the areas of Pulwama and Shopian Districts apart from adjoining areas of Chenab Valley including Ramban, Banihal and Kishtwar Districts. This will definitely help in providing quality Pediatric health care services and lessen the load of Patients to already over burdened GB Pant Hospitals. Similar facilities are needed for North Kashmir as well.
The writer is a Consultant Radiologist
