| News Details |
| Mehbooba calls for PM’s intervention in infant deaths tragedy | |  Srinagar, May 17(Scoop News) –Expressing deep grief and anguish at the alarmingly high mortality rate of infants at the G B Panth government pediatric hospital here Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti today urged the Prime Minister to take note of the serious development that has affected hundreds of families in Kashmir. She said central government and the congress leadership as coalition partners owed it to the state to ensure at least bare minimum health facilities and find out how huge funds in this sector are actually spent. “I am sure such tragedies elsewhere would have evoked an entirely different response”
Mehbooba said hospitals are meant to prevent such tragedies as is unfolding in Pant Hospital as a result of media expose. “If we lose as many as 359 children in 4 months at the hospital that runs as the only facility in the valley, where else can they be treated safely and what is the purpose of having such institutions?” she asked. She expressed solidarity with the parents of all the children who have fallen victim to government apathy.
Mehbooba said the fact that such a grave tragedy took place in the capital city’s only hospital for children should serve as an index of what must be happening in rest of the state. Demanding compensation for the victims of negligence, she said unless responsibility was fixed and action taken against the merchants of death such catastrophes would always take place. No probes would serve any purpose unless the government developed respect for human life and ensured that the health programs were implemented with sincerity she said.
Mehbooba said it was painful that rest of the country failed to empathize with the miseries of Kashmir. A much smaller number of deaths of similar unfortunate nature in West Bengal recently had set off alarm bells all across the country but no such outrage about the 359 children of Kashmir have been witnessed.
The PDP president said J&K was unlucky in not being able to benefit from major health care programs that have changed the profile of many states in the country. These programs in J&K have become victims of inefficiency and corruption and failed in making an impact on the lives especially of the disadvantaged sections. She said mother child health care was the cornerstone of any good society but in our state both were unable to access public institutions and when they do as in the case of GB Pant Hospital the result is death in large numbers. “What does government intervention mean for these unfortunate children and their grieving families and parents” she wondered.
Mehbooba said even as the government is blowing its trumpet of achievements the ground realities suggest a widening gap between the requirement and availability of services. G B Panth hospital started in 2005 is the only facility in the valley catering to a population of seven million people with a meager 130 bed capacity. The government has had no will or time to think of expanding the overburdened facility or strengthening pediatric facilities at the district and primary levels she said. “At most hospitals pediatrician are reportedly not available as the government feels contented with inaugurating new buildings without facilities”. Though these fulfill the desire for photo opportunities, hospitals continue to lack amenities for patients, she added.
... |
| |
|
|
Share this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|