Kashmir: Doctors allege work hampered by paramilitary forces

Despite government announcement that identity cards of the doctors will be considered as curfew passes, some doctors on Monday alleged they were not allowed to attend their duty by police and paramilitary forces.

As curfew entered its third day throughout all the ten districts of Kashmir, doctors were asked to go on their duties with identity cards as their curfew passes. A doctor who works as a consultant at Srinagar's Bone and Joint hospital said that he was not allowed to move by the paramilitary forces, despite showing his identity card.

"I live only two kilometers from the hospital and I had to go to duty. I pleaded with the CRPF and J-K police personnel on duty to let me go but they did not," said a senior doctor who wished not to be named. "I showed them my identity card as government has said it will be treated as curfew pass but they didn't honour it. I had even an argument with them".

The Resident Medical Office (RMO) of Bone and Joint hospital said they did not discharge the patients who were supposed to be discharged keeping in view the strict curfew across Kashmir.

"Usually we won't discharge a patient now but anyone who lives nearby and wants to get discharged we have no problem in that," said the RMO of Bone and Joint Hospital, Dr Mir Mohammad Altaf.

The continued and stringent curfew across Kashmir for the last three days has also caused acute shortage of essential supplies, including medicines, across the Valley. Since the Public Distribution Depots are closed, people are facing shortage of baby food and milk. "We are facing shortage of baby food and milk as shops are closed and we are not allowed to move out," said a resident of Srinagar, Gulzar Ahmad. "We are having black tea and Kehwa now".

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