Inordinate delay hits construction of aero-bridge between SMHS, Super Specialty Hospitals

Srinagar, May 18: The inordinate delay in constructing the aerobridge between the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital and the adjacent Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) is endangering the lives of patients and attendants.

The Government apathy towards patient safety can be gauged from the fact that years after the proposal for an aero-bridge connecting the two hospitals was made by the Government Medical College Srinagar, it stands unapproved.

In the absence of a safe passage, the patients and their attendants traverse the traffic to shuttle between the two hospitals, each sharing the facilities and equipment of the other.

The SMHS Hospital and SSH Srinagar are like two hospitals in the same plot, albeit with a busy traffic road slashing through. The two hospitals share many facilities, like many laboratories, MRI, and the Emergency. Many departments have their OPDs in SMHS Hospital and the patient wards in SSH. This makes it impossible for the patients to avoid the crossing over through the road that has hundreds of vehicles – cars, autos, load carriers and every other kind zooming past. The patients face daily hazards due to the lack of an aero bridge connecting the two facilities – an infrastructure project that remains critical but unapproved despite urgent need. Many times, patients on stretchers and wheelchairs have to navigate dangerous crossings to access shared medical services. At all times, the attendants, distraught with emergencies and ailments of loved ones are always on the road.

Much of the road is also under encroachment by vendors and auto rickshaws. The area has GMC Srinagar, SMHS Hospital, Government Dental College and Hospital and SMHS Hospital and SSH, making it one of the busiest areas in Srinagar.

A proposal of Rs 18 crore for the construction of an aero-bridge between two hospitals was submitted tothe  Health and Medical Education Department in 2019, according to GMC officials. However, the proposal has not been approved yet, they said.

When Greater Kashmir spoke to GMC Srinagar officials about the issue, they said there was no plan “as of now” to construct the aero-bridge. “We have not received any such approval,” an official in R&B Department of GMC Srinagar said.

The SMHS Hospital with over 1,000 beds, serves approximately 10,000 patients, attendants, and visitors daily. The adjacent Super Specialty Hospital, with 220 beds, provides advanced treatments like oncology, neurosurgery and cardiology.

The two facilities share critical resources, including diagnostic labs, surgical units, and specialized clinics, requiring frequent patient transfers. “It’s frightening,” said Mohammad Hanief, accompanying his elderly mother, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility. “We wait for gaps in traffic, and even then, it’s terrifying. An ambulance isn’t always available, and not every patient needs one.” While ambulances are provided for some transfers, hospital staff report that demand is much more than what can be arranged, leaving many to rely on manual crossings with the help of attendants.