District hospital Kargil without CT scan, MRI facilities

Kargil, Nov 2 : Non-availability of Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan facility at district hospital Kargil in Ladakh is creating a lot of problems to the patient who require these emergency services.

The district hospital Kargil is the only biggest healthcare facility in the entire district, the dearth of health infrastructure like non availability of MRI scan and out of order CT scan machine in District Hospital here is pushing the patients to serious milieu. The newly constructed hospital building has a good infrastructure but lack facilities.

Locals said that due to the non availability of emergency machinery like CT scan and MRI, they have to travel to Srinagar or Leh to get themselves scanned. The patients face lot of inconvenience in the process due to long distance travel and the rush in hospitals there. As per the reports, the CT scan in District Hospital Kargil is out of order since February. The patients and attendants while criticising the health department and the administration asserted that the “building is really beautiful but working CT, MRI Scan and other urgent infrastructure would have solved the problems of people.”

"For last many years, the people of Kargil have been demanding adequate healthcare facilities in district hospital so that they do not have to face hardships. However, the administration particularly the health department has failed to streamline and redress the issue, " prominent social-political activist from Kargil Sajad Hussain Kargili said. Sajad said that the authorities must not sleep over such matters as it pertains to the health issues of common people, particularly the poor patients. “ Kargil hospital is the biggest health facility in the district. The hospital, which treats patients of trauma as well as those injured in accidents, does not have MRI facility despite of demands for last several years, Sajad Kargili said. He requested the Lt Governor Ladakh Brigadier BD Mishra led administration to arrange an additional CT scan and MRI Machine for district hospital Kargil.

“We have multiple times appealed the concerned authorities, but no action was taken in any regard,” a local resident lamented. The patients visiting the DH are forced to go Leh, sometimes outside the UT for treatment where they are stranded for weeks since official apathy. Chief Medical Officer Kargil Dr Munawar and Deputy Commissioner Kargil Shrikant Suse when contacted for the comments did not respond to the phone call by this newspaper.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Councilor , Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil, Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon told Greater Kashmir that he understands the inconvenience caused to the patients due to the non availability of any CT scan and MRI in district hospital Kargil, adding that he has taken up the matter with the Lieutenant Governor Ladakh and Secretary health recently. " I have taken up this issue with the LG administration and hopefully the facilities particularly CT scan will be available at District hospital Kargil soon so that patients do not suffer," CEC told Greater Kashmir. He said his priority will remain the upgradation of health infrastructure and better medical facilities for the people and in coming months the visible changes will be on ground.