GMC Anantnag cuts referrals, admissions double as staff crunch persists
Anantnag, Sep. 18: The temporary relocation of the paediatric department to Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag’s Janglatmandi hospital early this year has transformed child healthcare in South Kashmir, sharply reducing referrals to Srinagar, doubling admissions and improving survival of critical patients. But doctors warn that the shortage of nurses and paramedics remains a major challenge.
At a continuing medical education (CME) program on Thursday, faculty said the shift earlier this year from the congested Sherbagh Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH), the associated hospital of GMC Anantnag has given paediatricians access to more beds, advanced facilities and specialist support.
“Earlier, almost half of our complicated cases were being referred to Srinagar. Now referrals have come down to less than 10 percent,” said Associate Professor Dr. Showkat Hussain, head of paediatrics. “We now routinely manage emergencies that once required transfer.”
Hussain said GMC Anantnag caters to nearly 25 lakh people, with around 40 percent of them being children. “That means our paediatric section is responsible for nearly 10 lakh children,” he said.
As per World Health Organization (WHO) norms, such a patient load would require 3,000 pediatric beds. “We had only 30 beds earlier. Now the strength has gone up to 55 and another 45 are coming soon,” Hussain said. “OPD has increased by 30 percent, IPD admissions have doubled, and referrals have drastically come down.”
He said the department admits 15,000 children annually, a figure projected to rise to 30,000, but only 15 nurses are managing the entire load. “Despite this dearth, our staff has shown exemplary commitment,” he said.
Doctors said that besides routine cases, GMC Anantnag is now handling advanced procedures including non-invasive ventilation, double-volume exchange transfusion and anti-venom therapy for snakebites — interventions that once required immediate transfer to Srinagar.
Dr. Jawad Nazir presented case studies of critical neonatal and pediatric patients treated successfully in Anantnag. “Families from Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian and even Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda no longer need to make stressful overnight trips to Srinagar,” he said.
Leadership hailed
Faculty and doctors credited Principal Prof. Dr Rukhsana Najeeb for spearheading the turnaround. “Since Prof. Najeeb took over, the hospital has witnessed a change. Our focus is now to reduce referrals and strengthen confidence in local healthcare,” she said. “South Kashmir and Chenab Valley deserve advanced treatment close to home. Once the new maternity and child hospital is ready, those needs will be met comprehensively.”
Doctors said that despite space and staff constraints, Prof. Najeeb’s leadership has expanded services and won the trust of local communities who previously saw specialized care as out of reach.
“My focus is now to transform critical care services in the hospital — the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the main hospital as well as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the children’s section,” said Principal Prof. Rukhsana Najeeb, who earlier served as professor and head of anesthesia at GMC Srinagar.
She said her aim is to build a critical care setup that can serve as a model for peripheral hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir. “It may not be at par with tertiary facilities like SMHS, LD Maternity, Pediatrics Hospital Bemina or SKIMS Soura, but it should be a benchmark for district-level care,” she said.
Prof. Najeeb emphasized the need for both invasive and non-invasive interventions in critical care. “I don’t want critical care to be limited to non-invasive procedures. We need invasive care as well, with more space, more ICU beds, adequate anesthetists and trained nurses,” she said.
New hospital in the pipeline
The government has approved construction of a 250-bed maternity and child hospital next to the GMC campus at a cost of Rs 86 crore. Officials said once completed, it will significantly reduce the pressure on tertiary hospitals in Srinagar including Bemina Paediatric hospital , SMHS and SKIMS.
Safety concerns at MCCH Sherbagh
For now, the maternity wing continues to function at Sherbagh, in a building declared unsafe by Fire and Emergency Services in 2014. Two recent short-circuit incidents in the neonatal unit have raised concerns, though officials insist precautionary measures are in place. Doctors, however, say the urgency for relocation cannot be overstated.
A growing institution
Upgraded from a district hospital in 2019, GMC Anantnag continues to expand faculty and infrastructure. Doctors acknowledged that using Block A for pediatrics has squeezed casualty and diagnostic services temporarily but called it a necessary step until the new hospital is ready.
