To put the health care system in Kashmir back on track, the government urgently needs to make District Hospitals operational and thus decentralize the otherwise Srinagar-centric healthcare.

The ten district hospitals – which form the backbone of rural health care in Kashmir - are in dire need of specialist doctors, paramedic staff and infrastructure to make them fully functional and thus stop the flow of patients to tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar. There is a serious need for augmentation of specialist doctors and trained paramedics. Over the years, the district hospitals have turned into referral clinics where doctors dispatch patients, even with ordinary ailments, to Srinagar for treatment.

The entire district of Bandipore has no gynaecologist and only one paediatrician, who was appointed only a few days ago. The District Hospital has only one orthopaedic surgeon who manages the lone operation theatre and only one anaesthetic who is a diploma holder and not a specialist. As a result the patients, especially pregnant women, are referred to hospitals in Srinagar.

The infrastructure is almost non existent. “We have hardly any infrastructure. We don’t even have a CT Scan machine or even sterilizers or even a generator to run the operation theatre,” said Chief Medical Officer of Bandipore, Dr Bashir Ahmad Malik. “And then you blame us for referring the patients to Srinagar. What can we do? We have no other option”.

The 100-bed Baramulla District Hospital is no better. Established in 1932, the hospital is one of the oldest in Kashmir but it lacks even basic healthcare facilities. The hospital has no paediatrician and its Blood Bank is dry most of the time. There is only one ENT specialist, one eye-specialist and only one orthopaedic surgeon. In the last 15 days all the paediatric cases had to be referred to Srinagar as the Hospital’s only paediatrician was on leave.

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