KV Correspondent

Elevators at LD ‘good for nothing’, thanks to official apathy

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Departmental tussle between Jammu And Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) and Mechanical Engineering Department (MED) is collectively making patients suffer at Govt Lalla Ded Hospital as elevators installed by JKPCC trough a contractor at Govt Lalla Ded Hospital are lying defunct from last fifteen days.

Pertinently, JKPCC had constructed a new building of LD hospital and the tenders for installing a lift was allotted to a local contractor, however, as per MED, the elevators do confer to the grade that is suitable for the hospitals.

The elevators are situated at a spot that receives a rush of emergency patients, who are to be shifted to the wards above, but the non-functioning of the elevators is posing serious challenges to the hospital administration and to the attendants as well.

“From last two weeks the elevators are working alternately. It is only adding to the miseries of the patients,” said Rayees Ahmad from Tangmarg, who was attending on his wife.

Other attendants present at the spot said they literally have to carry their patients on shoulders whenever the need arises or some tests are to be conducted and the patients have to be shifted to a lab.

“I carried my wife on my shoulders yesterday, she had to undergo a test on the ground floor,” said Fayaz Ahmad, another attendant.

Sources reveal that there is an internal tussle between JKPCC and MED, as MED is blaming JKPCC for the substandard material that was used, however, the sources add that the contractors are saying that they used the material in accordance to the funds that were allotted.

While talking to ‘Kashmir Vision’ Medical Superintended, LD Hospital, Dr. Nazir Malik said that “our patients are suffering due to the non-functioning of the elevators,” adding that “the money has been given by the health department, but still we are at the receiving end.”

As per the details given the department has spent almost 40-50 lakh rupees for the installation of the elevators in the newly constructed 5 storey building, however, it is as if the money is total waste.

With the fault that the elevators can stop functioning anytime, experts have sounded alarm that in this scenario if there any incident of fire in the building the situation can be grave and prove to be fatal.

“If God forbid there is any untoward incident in the hospital, it is going be a disaster,” experts said. MS LD hospital is also of the same opinion and has sounded an alert. When asked what has he, as an administrator of the hospital done to ensure the safety and smooth movement of the patients, he said that “I have informed the higher ups, even the issue was taken up with the CM.”

Managing Director, JKPCC could not be contacted despite repeated attempts to get his comments on the issue.


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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