Arjumand Shah
Srinagar Nov 08 (KINS): Amid dip in temperature, authorities are likely to start heating facilities in hospitals across Kashmir before November 15.
There has been a dip in temperature for the last over a week which has been bringing inconveniences to patients and attendants in hospitals.
“My mother is admitted at SMHS Hospital Srinagar but there is no heating arrangement in place. Patients are feeling cold here. Government should start heating facilities at the earliest,” John Mohammad, a resident of Nishat, told news agency KINS.
Bashir Ahmad, an attendant with a patient at Super Specialty Hospital Srinagar said the authorities have not started the heating system yet.
“The non-availability of heating arrangements is causing cold-related ailments among the patients. Our patient has caught a cold in the hospital,” he added.
Another attendant Mushtaq Ahmad said, “My father had fever and chills and no matter how many blankets we wrap him into, he still shivered through the night. We arranged hot water bottles from the canteen to keep the patient warm.”
An official at LD Hospital Srinagar said new born babies in the hospital are also facing the threat of catching cold-related diseases.
The month of November saw Kashmir’s most districts witnessing a sharp decrease in night temperatures.
A senior official said the heating systems in hospitals are scheduled to start after a week mostly before November 15.
“The hospital will start the trial run of the heating system in a few days. Then after the systems would run full-fledged onwards,” the official said.
He said the trial run would bring up the temperature of the hospital premises to some degrees and patients will have some relief from cold.
A senior official of SKIMS Soura said the hospital has started heating in critical areas such Operation Theatres and ICUs. “Very soon, we will start heating systems in all hospital areas,” he added.
A doctor in one of the hospitals said that the cold makes the recovery of patients slower and in some cases worsen the condition of patients.
“It is better to have adequate heating arrangements at the earliest in hospitals especially during night hours,” the official added. (KINS)
