'Patient rush at SMHS all time high'
Observer News Service | March 17, 2016
Srinagar: Valley's premier hospital SMHS in facing shortage of paramedical staff and doctors. On Monday, the general OPD in the hospital was not only over crowded with patients, who had come from far flung areas, but the acute staff shortage forced patients to wait in long queues for hours.
Around 200 patients were in the line waiting for their turns in one of the OPD's. Most of the patients returned back without meeting the doctor.
"There is only one junior doctor in Dr Parvez Shah's room. How can they manage to see hundreds of patients? We have been waiting here since 9 am, but our turn has not come yet, "said Ghulam Rasool, a patient, when it was already 11 am.
Similar scenes were seen outside other OPD's in the hospital.
When the matter was brought into the notice of Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Nazir Chowdhary said he will talk to the doctor about the inconveniences faced by the patients.
Some junior doctors in the hospital said they used to take care of the increasing rush of patients, but over the months most of the contractual doctors have left the hospital as they weren't getting salaries on time. "There are doctors whose salaries have not been released from last eight to nine months. How can things work smoothly here? Most of the contractual doctors have left and started their own clinics and many have joined private hospitals," said a junior woman doctor. (PTK)
https://kashmirobserver.net/2016/03/17/patient-rush-at-smhs-all-time-high