Srinagar: In just a week’s time, the situation at SKIMS Bemina has turned into a crisis, with nearly 50 percent of the staff working at the COVID-19 testing lab, and many doctors working at other departments, including the institute’s principal, testing positive for the coronavirus.
Principal Dr Irfan Robani, who is recovering from COVID-19, told Kashmir Reader that the hospital has been facing a “war-like situation”, and the doctors and staff are working round the clock to get it back to normal.
The hospital has been designated for COVID 19 for the third time since the pandemic began. When this was decided recently by the Divisional Commissioner’s office for the third wave, the hospital was working as per routine schedule. As soon as the hospital had to shift mode to Covid-19 management, the staff started testing positive, by the dozen each day.
“We are doing our best to resume work. I have been handling many things on the phone. And now, even in this situation, I have decided to get back to work, in controlled conditions,” Dr Robani told Kashmir Reader.
On Monday, a group of patients even held a demonstration, requesting the hospital to resume OPD services. Dr Robani told Kashmir Reader that OPD tele-consultations have been started and patients can reach out to doctors through the phone numbers. In case anyone requires hospitalisation, he said, they will be prescribed accordingly.
Over the past week, the hospital has been doing 200 percent more tests than capacity. As of now, the institute has 1,000 tests per day capacity, but the actual numbers are close to 3,000 a day. Samples from other districts are also being sent here for tests.
“We have kept the work on, irrespective of the situation. The lab is working 24X7. Hopefully, in the coming days, things will ease,” the principal said.
The crunch in staff has led to delay in reports as well. Many patients who were tested on January 13 are yet to get the reports, which otherwise was supposed to come in 24 hours. Dr Robani said all such pending test reports will be released by Tuesday.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz