Patients bear brunt of heat wave at SMHS Hospital
Srinagar, Jun 23: Most hospitals in Kashmir have poor provisions for cooling, a deficiency that is proving treacherous to critically ill patients and their attendants. One such hospital area is the Neurosurgery ward at SMHS Hospital Srinagar, where a low ceiling, poor ventilation, and overcrowding make the stay of patients no less than a misery.
On Monday, a netizen uploaded a video of the SMHS Hospital Neurosurgery ward showing patients being hand-fanned to keep them comfortable. The patients are in a pathetic condition due to the heat, and their attendants fanning them to provide the much-needed sense of cooling exhibit the poor state of affairs our hospitals are in. SMHS Hospital is a major general specialty hospital, the second largest, and a pivotal link to patient care and medical education provided by GMC Srinagar.
The ward has all types of cases: those injured in accidents, those who have suffered strokes, those with brain tumors, and those with spine surgeries and issues. The overcrowded ward admits patients who require a great deal of care, are usually non-ambulatory, and often have to spend weeks in the hospital. The ward has windows that are not suited for ventilation. As an interim measure, in the past few years, a few exhaust fans and seven ceiling fans have been installed to make a difference to it. Yet, the ward is steaming hot in summer, stuffy, and smelly.
Although a Neurosurgery Ward is also available in the Super Specialty Hospital, the trauma operation theatre of SMHS Hospital remains the mainstay for emergency neuro cases. As a result, the patients who are operated on at this OT are admitted to the nearby Neuro ward. Their shifting to the SSH, a road across, becomes impossible due to the lack of a safe and smooth transit port. Patients must be either transported in an ambulance, which is often difficult to requisition due to the hospital's rush, or transported on a stretcher through the busy general road.
After the video surfaced, the SMHS Hospital administration resorted to more stop-gap arrangements, breaking windows to allow more air to circulate. Medical Superintendent SMHS Hospital, Dr Andleeb told Greater Kashmir that the hospital had requisitioned air-conditioning units for some areas in the hospital, including for this ward. “Some AC units are coming and we will put those in emergency and other hospital areas where we need more cooling, given the flow and presence of patients and attendants,” she said.
However, many believe that these measures often prove futile as there are no holistic plans to upgrade the infrastructure of hospitals in Kashmir. “Patients are subjected to inhuman conditions: not enough benches, filthy washrooms, and a maze that is our hospitals,” a doctor working at the hospital in question said.
