What will be the fate of DRDO Hospital Khanmoh?

Today, only one COVID19 positive patient is admitted in J&K, in an ICU at DRDO Hospital Khanmoh. The other facilities and hospitals that were designated for COVID19 during the first, second and third waves have been directed to resume what they were doing prior to the Pandemic.

Almost all routine patient services have been resumed and patients are getting their ailments treated and their surgeries carried out in Chest Diseases Hospital, in JLNM Hospital, in SKIMS Medical College Hospital and elsewhere where they had been stalled to reserve beds for people requiring admission for COVID19 symptoms.

However, barring the lone occupied bed at the 500 bedded DRDO Hospital in Khanmoh, the COVID19 beds are empty now. For the past one and a half months, the number of people testing positive for COVID19 has dropped significantly.

The situation has improved a great deal, and now the talks are going on about declaring the end to the Pandemic.

The treat of fresh variants and Viruses remains but is not being considered as serious right now as would demand some additional preparedness or measures. The COVID19 restrictions have been done away with.

Amidst this scenario, the J&K Government recently ordered that the human resource that had been deputed from various institutes and hospitals to DRDO Hospital be repatriated to their original places of posting.

The decline in COVID19 cases, as per the order, resulted in under-utilization of the services of this staff, doctors primarily, many of these specialists. The decision is sound, given that there are hardly any patients that could have been benefited by these doctors if they continued to be posted in DRDO Hospital.

The Government had also recruited nurses, anesthesia technicians, Lab technicians and other allied staff for the hospital, in a good number, on contract last year to run this hospital.

Doctors were also hired, including specialists, on contract. The staff contracts expire in June this year, although it is extendable upto three years. The staff is being funded by J&K Government, while the running costs of the hospital, including drugs and disposables, is through the funding of GoI.

The Hospital was set-up within a few weeks in May 2021, to address the emergency brought in by the load of patients that COVID19 Second Wave led to. The Hospital is equipped with a 125 bedded ICU. The remaining 375 beds have high-flow oxygen connectivity.

The Hospital has two strong oxygen generation plants. With the capacity of 56000 liter capacity of Liquid Medical Oxygen: 4 crore 39 lakh liters of gaseous oxygen. This is unmatched. In terms of ICU, this is the largest in Kashmir. In terms of high-flow oxygen supported beds, one of the largest in Kashmir.

It appears natural that the hospital that had been constructed on war footing for the emergency needs of COVID19 Wave, must warp up now.

However, the infrastructure that was developed to bridge the gap in our healthcare system and to augment the capacity of oxygen beds in Kashmir must not be undone. The future functionality of DRDO Hospital must take into account the strengths it has.

The medical and surgical specialties that require immediate or imminent ICU care could benefit from this set-up where there is no dearth of oxygen or ICU beds. The hospital could also be used to temporarily house hospitals that need renovation or additional blocks.

The Bone and Joints Hospital Barzulla that suffered a devastating fire earlier this month is an example before us. The hospital, despite having the most advanced of specialties and facilities is unable to put its staff and equipment to use because of the death of space, further aggravated by an unavailable building.

Although DRDO Hospital does not have Operation Theatres, it is quite possible to expand its infrastructure on the same pace and on the same lines as was done to set it up.

The unavailability of a Drug Rehabilitation Center is another grim reminder of how Kashmir needs more healthcare infrastructure, not winding up existing ones.

Though a drug rehab would not optimally use the oxygen beds and other infrastructure at the hospital, it could still help in saving lives.

Emergencies, on the other hand, could arise any time. A health official said the Government may, if the hospital is closed down, distribute its beds and ventilators among other hospitals. “To rust in their warehouses,” I said, given the experience.

Additional Chief Secretary to J&K Government, Health and Medical Education, Vivek Bhardwaj said the J&K Government has written to GoI seeking clarity on the future of DRDO Hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are awaiting their response,” he said.

Sense must prevail and healthcare infrastructure and resources may be enhanced in J&K and across India, not curtailed: Pandemic or no Pandemic.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.

The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.