GMC Anantnag Hospital still awaits long-delayed expansion

Anantnag, Nov 1: The Government Medical College Hospital in Anantnag is facing a space crunch even as the authorities have failed to complete the 100-bedded diagnostic and main causality block approved 17 years ago.

In 2007, a project to construct three new blocks for the erstwhile Mirza Afzal Beg Memorial Hospital (MAMB) was sanctioned and the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), the executing agency, set a three-year deadline for its completion.

However, the paucity of funds and sluggish work marred the Rs 15 crore project even as the hospital was elevated to a medical college in the year 2019.

After repeated directives from the government, the JKPCC managed to complete two blocks (B and C), which were handed over to the hospital authorities in 2015 and the old hospital was shifted into these blocks, a health official said.

However, he said that work on Block-A, which would add 100-bed capacity to the hospital did not commence for long.

After much hassles, JKPCC started the work on the project two years ago and handed it over to the Public Works Department (PWD) after the JKPCC was closed down.

A medic said that the present 200-bedded new hospital building catering to a huge chunk of the population across south Kashmir has been confronting the problem of overcrowdedness.

“Most of the time we can see two patients sharing a single bed in both wards and casualty,” a medic said.

He said that at times patients can be seen lying on the floor.

“The Intensive Care Unit (ICU), post-operative ward, and even administrative ward, all have been crammed in a single block,” a medic said.

He said that the specialist doctors, medical officers, assistant surgeons, and faculty members of medical colleges do not have a proper place to sit.

“At times doctors find it difficult to remain available for patients. Even the laboratories and casualty lack proper space,” another medic said.

He said that both medical and surgical casualties are run from a single room.

“A doctor finds it difficult to undergo a medical check of a patient as it is completely a mess,” the medic said.

He said that the vital blood bank, ophthalmology, CT scan, and dental section have all been kept in one of the old buildings of the hospital which is devoid of adequate space.

“Surgery, ENT, orthopaedic, and ophthalmology have been crammed in a single IPD ward on the second floor of C block,” a doctor said.

He said that with endoscopy, dialysis, and ICU section barely a few meters away, the chances of cross-infection loom large.

“There are not enough beds with oxygen supply facilities,” the medic said.

Principal, Government Medical College (GMC), Dr Ruksana Najeeb admitted that the hospital was confronting the problem of a space crunch.

“We are expecting the PWD to hand over the block soon so that it becomes functional,” she said.

However, the PWD officials said that the part of the block will be handed over by next month.

“The ground and first floor are in the finishing stage and we will be handing it over by November end,” Executive Engineer, PWD, Anantnag, Syed Ishfaq Ahmad told Greater Kashmir.

He said that the work on the third floor and truss will be started as soon as they get funds.

“We expect the block to be completed by early next year,” Ahmad said.