Jahangeer Ganaie
Anantnag, Jan 09 : The Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) Anantnag, located in the Sher Bagh area of the town, has managed around 7,200 deliveries in 2024 and treated over 3.5 lakh patients in the outpatient department (OPD).
According to data accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), 356,974 patients were treated in the OPD, averaging 980 patients per day. “32,107 patients were admitted and treated in the in-patient department. The hospital conducted 5,026 major operations and 2,148 minor surgeries during the year,” it states.
Moreover, 7,237 deliveries were managed at the hospital in 2024, averaging 20 deliveries per day. In the same year, the hospital conducted 18,176 HIV tests and treated 2,991 referred patients. A total of 406 ligation procedures were performed, and over 235,895 tests, including 235,695 ultrasounds, 16,670 X-rays, and 8,148 ECGs, were conducted.
The hospital performed 16,993 HCV tests, 16,985 HBsAg tests, and hundreds of other diagnostic procedures, according to data.
Meanwhile, despite catering to patients from the four districts of south Kashmir, as well as Ramban and the Chenab Valley, the hospital has been functioning from an unsafe building since 2014.
Located in the congested Sher Bagh locality, the hospital faces severe space constraints, with beds often placed in corridors to accommodate the high patient influx.
The infrastructure includes just two labour wards, four surgical wards, and a single operation theatre, which leads to overcrowding and shared beds. Noise and congestion are frequent complaints from both patients and staff.
“The building was declared unsafe by the Fire and Services Department nearly a decade ago. If an incident occurs under these conditions, who will be held accountable?” one official asked.
Plans to shift the hospital have faced repeated hurdles. A decision to move the hospital to the district hospital was revoked within 24 hours due to alleged political interference, the official said, adding that plans to relocate to the Rehmat-e-Alam Trust building in Sarnal have stalled, even after Rs 13 crore was spent on constructing additional floors.
A safety assessment by IIT Jammu revealed that the structure failed to meet post-2005 earthquake safety standards, and retrofitting the building would cost an estimated Rs 8 crore. This proposal, however, was shelved.
The government has proposed constructing a 200-bed maternity and childcare hospital on the premises of GMC Anantnag’s Janglatmandi Hospital.
Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo recently told KNO that efforts have been made to shift MCCH Anantnag, but the process has been hindered by various obstacles.
“The current hospital operates from an unsafe building, and if any untoward incident occurs, those obstructing the process will be held responsible,” the minister said.
Itoo added that while a new hospital is a long-term solution, the government is exploring alternative options to expedite the hospital’s relocation.
Despite the challenges, hospital staff remain committed to managing the overwhelming influx of patients daily.
One staff member said, “Thousands of patients from far-off places in south Kashmir and even Jammu division visit us daily. Despite the difficult conditions, we are managing to serve them.”—(KNO)
