Anantnag: The overburdened Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH), here in Anantnag, continues to run from a cramped, shabby, “unsafe” building, putting lives at risk and patients to inconvenience, despite better alternate spaces available for the hospital.
The MCH is only one of its kind in south Kashmir witnessing a heavy footfall of patients round the year. Besides, patients from as far as Kishtwar, Banihal, Doda and other areas in Chenab valley region also throng the hospital making it one of the busiest in entire south Kashmir.
Sources in the hospital maintain that there is a daily footfall of over 4000 patients in the OPD and over 7000 patients are admitted every month.
However, the hospital building-located in the Sherbagh locality of the town is in a bad shape and was declared to be unsafe by the Fire and Emergency Services Department many years back.
“Sadly the hospital continues to run from this very building which is short of space as well as unsafe,” a source in the hospital told Kashmir Reader.
A few years back, after the nearby Anantnag District Hospital was shifted to a new building, the MCH was shifted to the existing structure of the district hospital.
“Such was the political pressure created by a group of shopkeepers in Sherbagh area that the MCH was shifted back to the old building in a day, literally,” a source in Health department told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the decision was unfortunate but was taken by some powerful politicians back then and no one could do anything.
“In subsequent years there was a proposal to move the hospital to Sarnal locality into the building of a proposed hospital named, Rehmat-e-Alam Hospital. But before the process could be completed the building was occupied by security forces during last year’s Amarnath Yatra and they are yet to vacate,” the source said.
Meanwhile the patients at the MCH are left to face the difficulties at their own peril.
“The building is short of space and patients sharing beds, is not an uncommon sight,” a local resident said, adding that another nightmare for the patients was the overcrowded road leading to the hospital.
He said that the road remains choked with vehicles taking the patients some times hours to reach the hospital.
“Whether the patient is in a private vehicle or an ambulance makes no difference. They lose precious time nevertheless,” he said.
Director Health, Gonzes Dolma, when contacted, told Kashmir Reader that she would look into the matter.
“The hospital is now being run by the medical college. I will talk to the principal,” Dolma told Kashmir Reader.

Suhail A Shah