Rain exposes decades of neglect at Anantnag Maternity Hospital

Anantnag, Oct 8: At least 32 mothers and their newborns were drenched when rainwater leaked through the rooftop of the post-operative ward at the Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) in Anantnag during midnight showers on Monday, once again exposing the deteriorating condition of the decades-old facility.

“Our patient was sleeping when raindrops started falling on her bed. Both she and the infant got completely wet, and so did the bedding,” said an attendant from Kokernag. “We had to wait for the rain to stop before shifting her. The paramedic staff later helped dry the bedding.”

Several other patients in the post-operative ward—where mothers and infants are kept after caesarean deliveries—faced a similar ordeal. Hospital staff said the mothers and newborns were temporarily moved to the lobby and corridors until the beds were dry. “We wanted to shift them elsewhere, but there was no space in this already overcrowded hospital,” said a paramedic.

The incident has sparked outrage among attendants and locals, who accused authorities of neglecting the hospital despite repeated promises of relocation. “It is bizarre that an associated hospital of GMC Anantnag is in such a condition,” said another attendant.

The hospital’s infrastructure paints a grim picture. The wooden rooftops of nearly all sections - including the Out Patient Department (OPD) casualty, surgical ward, pre-operative, and post-operative wards - are broken and leak during rain, while the walls are cracked and about to collapse. Ceilings sag under years of decay, and portions of plaster have already fallen off in wards and corridors. Staff and patients say the structure could “collapse at any time.”

This is not the first safety scare. Earlier this year, on January 10, emergency operating theatres were temporarily closed after a water tank leak disrupted services and caused electric shocks. Doctors refused to work after a colleague was electrocuted, allegedly due to water seepage inside the operating rooms. “The leakage caused electric currents in the OTs, posing a serious risk to both staff and patients,” said a medic.

“The facility is unsafe in every way - it could collapse any moment and is highly susceptible to fire,” another doctor warned. “Authorities seem to be waiting for a tragedy before acting.”

Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Showkat Shah said the management has repeatedly written to higher authorities for repairs. “Work has been done many times, and more may be needed, but the main issue remains — this hospital operates under severe space constraints in an old, worn-out building,” he said.

The maternal care section of MCCH, operating from a 60-year-old structure in the congested Sherbagh locality of Anantnag’s old town, handles over 10,000 outpatients and 2,500 inpatients every month. Declared unsafe by both the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Fire and Emergency Services Department more than a decade ago, the building lacks fire safety mechanisms and remains at constant risk of collapse.

Despite repeated assurances from successive governments, the hospital continues to function from the same unsafe structure. A committee formed by then Health Minister Sakeena Itoo last year was tasked with identifying an alternative site, but no decision has been finalised.

Earlier this year, the Health and Medical Education Department directed the PWD to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a new 200-bed Maternity and Child Care Hospital at the Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag campus in Janglatmandi.

Only the pediatric section has been shifted to the GMC campus following sustained public pressure and years of reporting by Greater Kashmir. However, that move has further strained the already overcrowded complex.

“No new block was added after the hospital was upgraded to a GMC in 2019,” said Ishfaq Ahmad. “The existing structure includes three old buildings and three new blocks approved in 2007. The A Block was reduced from five to three stories after GMC Anantnag became functional.”

Medical experts warn that building the new MCCH within the same campus may not be viable. “The GMC complex already houses the nursing home, oxygen plant, and several central government-funded projects like the critical care unit,” said a senior doctor. “A proposed oncology block and a sewage treatment plant are also planned there - there’s hardly any room for expansion.”

He urged the government to identify a safer, more sustainable site. “The new hospital must be planned for the next hundred years, not just the next few,” he said.