No charges for attendants, visitors pay only rupees 5: Director SKIMS
SRINAGAR, 23, APRIL: Days after Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura Srinagar has started charging Rs 100 from visitors for their 15 minute visit after 6 in the evening, which triggered anger among masses, calling it anti people move, the Director SKIMS Dr Showkat Zargar clarifies that the amount is being charged to unnecessary visitors visiting hospital after 6 (non visiting hours).
He adds that visitors visiting during scheduled visiting hours i.e. 4 to 6: 30 in the evening are being charged only rupees 5 as fixed. Dr Zargar told that this move was not initiated to mint money but to improve the patient health care and to avoid confrontation, regular fights between late evening visitors and security personnel’s. He said that increasing number of late evening visitors not only affected cleanliness of the hospital but also affects the patient care as regular complaints of quarrel at hospital entry points creates inconvenience to all .
He said that attendants with the patients are possessing free passes adding that it is not matter of poor and rich. He said it is matter of patient health care and hygiene. “I am glade, how come it is about collecting money. Our people deserve better facilities with respect. This not a museum, cinema or public park, where visitors will come anytime”, he said. Dr Zargar argued that those who are relating ‘charging rupees 100 after non visiting hours’ to poor people are deliberately creating misconception.
Dr Zargar said that he cannot put CCTV everywhere like in bathrooms where earlier 82000 water taps were stolen just in 10 days. “I was criticized by the section of people for locking the hospital bathrooms after 10pm and I kept the wash-room keys available for the patients, attendants with the on duty nurse in the wards. But tell me whose responsibility is to protect the asset. If people are being provided better facilities, they must take care of take care of it,” he laments and appreciates the good moves.