Commercial activities within the premises of Valley’s lone child care hospital GB Panth that as per the rules set out by the Joint Management Committee are not permissible, have unstoppably been carried out by the Badami Bagh Cantonment Board. The breaches are emerging out as a glaring example of ‘basic rules’ violations.

Kashmir Vision is in possession of documents that suggest that there is no permission of starting any commercial activity within the hospital premises; however, in a violation of rules and guidelines, as per the document, the Cantonment Board has started commercial ventures within the premises in the year 2008.

The documents categorically reveal, without any condition that there shall be no permission of any commercial activity within the premises, and reads: “No commercial activities within the hospital complex.” 

The children’s hospital was earlier operating at Hazuri Bagh, and was then shifted to Sonwar in 2005. The hospital is a joint venture of Ministry of Health and Medical Education, J&K and the Ministry of Defence’s Badami Bagh Cantonment Board.

Kashmir Vision had carried a news story a week ago regarding how the cantonment board has been playing with the rules their way in GB Panth Hospital.

Even after starting commercial ventures, the board, as per the sources, and as was reported in the news story, is violating their set norms by not inviting fresh tenders for the possession of the shop within the hospital complex after the lease period of 3 years is over. 

As per the documents, there have been violations of rule after rule, firstly, by erecting a commercial venture in the complex which was not permissible and secondly, by not taking the members of the Joint Management Committee into the confidence.

Sources reveal that the hospital management had planned to establish a Fire and Emergency Station at the point where the shops have been constructed, but due to the high handedness of Cantonment Board, the idea of the station was shelved.

Adding to the story, Medical Superintended, G B Panth Hospital, Dr. K K Pandita while talking to Kashmir Vision said that “the hospital management had planned to establish a fire and emergency station there, but the cantonment board went on and erected a structure for commercial activities.” Adding that the “spot was the main entrance of the hospital and we had a plan of setting up a fire and emergency station there.”

The sources reveal that the members of Joint Management Committee from the hospital are helpless, and do not find themselves in a place where they could to put forth their demands and settle the issues.

Interestingly, the MoU between the state and Cantonment Board has recently been under severe criticism, with Minister for Health Aseia Naqash saying that “if there was any scope for revisiting the MoU, we will certainly do that.”   

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