No overhead bridge, high risk: Patients struggle to reach Bemina Children Hospital
Srinagar, Aug 01(KINS): The absence of an overhead footbridge outside Bemina Children Hospital is causing serious trouble for patients, attendants, and medical staff, who are forced to cross a busy and dangerous highway to reach the facility.
Located along the bustling Srinagar Bypass, the hospital sees hundreds of patients daily, including infants, children, and elderly patients. However, the lack of a pedestrian overhead bridge or even a zebra crossing has made access not only difficult but life-threatening.
“Carrying my sick 5-year-old son in my arms and trying to cross the highway felt like a nightmare,” said a worried father. “The traffic never stops, and there’s no safe way to get across.”
Other attendants echoed the same concern, saying they’re often burdened with medical files, medicines, and essentials while navigating high-speed traffic. “It’s physically draining and mentally stressful,” said one woman who regularly visits the hospital.
The issue isn’t just about inconvenience—it’s about safety. In March this year, two people died after being hit by an ambulance near the hospital. Local residents say the area is a death trap waiting for another tragedy.
“How many more lives must be lost before the government acts?” asked a local resident.
Doctors at the hospital also agree that the current situation is dangerous. “Timely access to healthcare is critical, especially for children. The absence of an overhead footbridge is affecting that access,” said one doctor on condition of anonymity.
The hospital, which was shifted from Sonwar to Bemina, was expected to offer better services. But attendants say it has added a new set of problems.
“There is no zebra crossing, no pedestrian signal, nothing,” said a regular visitor. “People are forced to run across the road, guessing when it’s safe.”
Ambulances too face challenges. Due to the highway divider, they have to drive nearly one kilometers ahead just to take a U-turn and return to the hospital—wasting precious minutes in emergencies.
Residents and visitors are urging the government to install a foot-over bridge, like the ones outside JVC hospital or Government College for Women on MA Road.
“This is a hospital, not a shopping mall. We need urgent intervention here,” said an attendant. “A footbridge is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.”
Officials told KINS that the issue has been brought to the notice of higher authorities, but so far, there’s no timeline for when action will be taken.
Until then, each trip to the hospital remains a risky journey for those already burdened with health worries.(KINS)
