Poor medical facilities put patients in dilemma
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Mandi (Poonch), October 30
The state government may be spending a huge sum of money to improve healthcare facilities across the state, but it has failed to bring the desired results.

Residents have alleged that a majority of patients requiring treatment are “not” treated by doctors at the sub-district hospital (SDH) here and are either referred to the district hospital (DH), Poonch, or Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu.

A majority of the patients come from the Sawjian, Loran or Mandi areas for treatment. While some have been injured by wild animals, some suffer from cardiac, gastro problems or from infections.

“Corruption and nepotism rules the roost at the sub-district hospital. Doctors are least bothered about treating patients. Two months back we brought a patient from the Sawjian area injured by a bear. Citing his condition to be critical, the doctors asked us to shift the patient to the district hospital or to the GMCH in Jammu. Instead of shifting him to Jammu, we took the patient to the district hospital where he got one stitch and was discharged. This speaks of the inefficiency of the doctors here”, Abdul Ghani, a resident of Sawjian, said.

Rashid Ahmed of Mandi area said: “My brother was diagnosed with palpitation due to stress by doctors at the district hospital. Later he was referred to the sub-district hospital at Mandi, where doctors said he was suffering from severe cardiac disease.”

“My brother was stressed due to some tension and we shifted him to the hospital here. Doctors said he was suffering from some cardiac disease and referred him to the district hospital, Poonch, where doctors told us that there was nothing serious. This speaks of the inefficiency of doctors at the sub-district hospital”.

Though doctors at the sub-district hospital refused to comment on the issue, a doctor at the district hospital on the condition of anonymity said: “We get a lot of patients from Mandi, Sawjian and Loran areas. We have a hospital here but patients are referred to other hospitals for treatment”.