SRINAGAR: The J&K High Court directed Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara to ensure that a system is devised and efforts are made to ensure that problems faced by people of Kupwara in accessing the healthcare are resolved. The direction was passed after Advocate Mansoor Ahmad Mir, submitted before the court that the residents of Kupwara district travel long distances on foot to access healthcare facilities. He submitted that patients are being carried on shoulders to access the medical facilities. The division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Rajnesh Oswal after hearing the counsel directed Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara to ensure that a system is devised and efforts are made to ensure even such problems of the people of Kupwara are resolved.

“Liberty is given to Mansoor Mir to inform his problems to the Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara,” the bench said. Meanwhile, a status report filed by Director Health Service, Kashmir division states that services of SDH, Kupwara had been shut down under the direction of higher authorities. The report informed the court that the hospital has been designated as an isolation hospital to manage COVID-19 positive cases and the premises of this institution have been declared as a red zone to avoid inward and outward movement in order to control the spread of virus.

It further informed that in order to address the hardships faced by the people and for making patient care facilities available to them, the district administration has taken over two private nursing homes namely ESS BEE Nursing Home, Kupwara and Quality Care Nursing Home, Kupwara, where even dialysis is being conducted. It is submitted in the report that OPD/IPD is also being run on a daily basis in these Nursing Homes. “These Nursing Homes have been equipped with all the facilities and requisite manpower has also been deployed to the said Nursing Homes for best patient care services,” it says.

The report further says that in addition to these institutions, district hospital Handwara, SDH Sogam and SDH Kralpora have also been equipped with all requisite facilities to meet out the healthcare facilities of the patient at this crucial stage. The court after perusing the report disposed of the application and remarked that respondents have ensured the provision of health care facilities to the residents of the district. Earlier, the application was filed by advocate, Mansoor Ahmad Mir, stating that Gynecology services and other critical services in Sub District Hospital (SDH), Kupwara were closed to the public on account of the hospital being converted into an isolation

NUSRAT SIDIQ