IRFAN QURAISHI
SRINAGAR: Undoubted the state’s prime hospital Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura in Srinagar has improved in many aspects to provide better patient care and facilities, but what is marring, discrediting the dedication, efforts and sincerity of the administration, doctors and other staff is poor public dealing of the security wing.
It is being viewed that the security men that includes personnel of Jammu and Kashmir Police and private security of the hospital throughout the day are engaged in verbal brawls with the visitor and attendants. According to the eye witnesses this routine affair of verbal brawls is due to the arrogance and unreasonable behavior of these security men which turns annoying for the people whose loved ones are admitted in the hospital for different ailments.
According to official sources, there are at least 150 security men in the hospital. “These security men dictate terms to the attendants ‘in and out’ in the hospital which is quite annoying. Despite having attendant passes, they kept attendants waiting outside the wards till they feel to allow them inside. They have a clear direction that attendants with passes should be given free accesses to the patient and inside the hospital but most of them show arrogance if argued”, said Iqbal Ahmad of Anantanag.
It is also being alleged that these security men un-necessarily room inside wards with lathi’s which create panic among patient’s attendants. “I have been here in the hospital from last three days with my niece who has to go through a surgery. They also stopped me again and again outside ward for questioning. I complained the inconvenience to one senior security men who excused me by saying this is public dealing. Is lathi and un-necessary questioning in the hospital the right way of public dealing”, asks Mehmooda Akhtar of Srinagar.
He observers say that the main reason behind routine brawls and unaccepted inconvenience to the people visiting the hospital is inexpert security wing. Adding that, most of the recruited personnel in the security wing are untaught and unqualified in public dealing. Observers said that the J&K police men are well trained to deal in police stations, law and order situations and with criminals but not with patients, stressed attendants and anxious relatives of these patients. “There is need to recruited well trained persons in the hospital security wings not only in SKIMS but in other hospitals. Hospital should not look scary with Lathi’s and Khakies. People visiting hospital must be assisted, helped and humbly attended not annoyed as they are already nervous and restless as their loved ones are admitted in the hospital.
Scores of attendants in the hospital said that the hospital administration has not made any arrangement or procedure to allow a person inside the hospital to relieve the attendant. “The visiting time is 4pm to 6pm, before and after the scheduled visiting time no one is being allowed to enter except OPD’s. The new attendant who has to replace the earlier one is not allowed whole day to get inside to relive tired one. These security men only allow when the earlier one comes out and handover his entry pass to new attendant. But it is not always possible for attendants to leave patient alone”, said Bilal Amad of Safakadil. He adds many in certain ailments one attendants is not sufficient that must be considered that hard and fast.
Meanwhile attendants and visitors are also complaining lack of facilities like space for meals, separate washrooms and waiting areas in the SKIMS. “ If the authorities are time and again passing shoulder after receiving complaints of inconvenience by saying the hospital has heavy rush of patients and people, then it is oblivious its income must be hefty. Why can’t such a prime institute have facilities like waiting and meals area for people”, said Mohammad Ashraf, a visitor from Sangrama.
When contacted the senior official of the administration, he on condition of anonymity said that there is no doubt that most of security men of the hospital are arrogant. He adds most of them are unqualified adding they are also stressed due to heavy influx. When asked about how long it will continue to annoy people, he said till well trained people are not tasked the job of security and public dealing in the hospital.