Improvement expected soon: Omar on infants death

More than 360 children have died at the G B Pant Hospital since the beginning of this year while 895 died last year.

Srinagar: With the death of several infants at a state-owned hospital here bringing the healthcare system under the scanner, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday remedial measures have been taken and improvement is expected soon.

More than 360 children have died at the G B Pant Hospital since the beginning of this year while 895 died last year.

The Chief Minister said the major failure in reporting the condition and status of the Hospital by the concerned management to the top level in the government made the things worse.

"As soon I received the details of shortcomings of the hospital, immediate measures both on administrative and service delivery disciplines were taken and we expect improvement within days," he said last evening.

Omar said a new children’s hospital will be constructed near SMHS Hospital in order to dovetail the facilities at the two healthcare institutions.

"We are now constructing a new children hospital near SMHS Hospital on modern lines. This will help dovetail the facilities and reduce the distance of children hospital from Lal Ded (maternity hospital)," Omar said during an interaction with civil society members here last evening.

Omar criticized the decision to move G B Pant Children?s Hospital to Sonawar from Lal Ded Hospital Wazir Bagh saying it made the healthcare facility for infants distant from the maternity hospital.

"The shifting of children hospital from Lal Ded to G B Panth hospital was not in fact a good decision. It not only made the hospital distant but reduced the bed strength from 180 to 110," he said.

PTI

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