Shuttling woes between SMHS and SSH hospitals: a bridge too far?

Patients seeking specialized treatment face high potential risks while crossing a congested road between two premier tertiary care hospitals of valley

In Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar, patients seeking specialized treatment face a challenging situation and encounter a high potential risk by crossing a congested road due to the absence of an “overhead bridge” between the two premier tertiary care hospitals of the valley—SMHS and Super Specialty Hospital (SSH). 

Mohammad Amin from South Kashmir’s Shopian district says that they had to shift their aunt from SMHS to SSH for a neurological check-up but they had to take her on a stretcher through a busy traffic-congested road. 

“Had there been an overhead bridge, shuttling would have been easy between SMHS and SSH hospital, we had to take our aunt on a stretcher through the busy road. We are not the only ones who face this situation many have to move specialized branch—SSH through the congested road”, says Amin.

Dream of a Seamless Connection

To cut down on the sufferings an “Aerobridge” connecting SMHS hospital and it’s multi-speciality unit Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) was sanctioned in 2019. The idea behind the aerobridge project was to establish a physical walkway between the two health facilities for a seamless and convenient transfer of patients, medical staff, and resources. This ambitious initiative aimed to improve the quality of healthcare services and shorten the transfer time between the two hospitals.

However, the fact remains that till date no site work has been taken up, and in it’s absence patients and their attendants continue to suffer during shuttling from one hospital to another.

Surprisingly, the Medical Superintendent at SMHS hospital Dr. Muzaffar Zargar told Ground Report that their office had no information on the project and asked to route to the GMC principal’s office to find out if there is any information available with them.

It is pertinent to note that of the allocated budget for Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2023-24, the health department received a whooping share of around Rs. 2097.53 crore, but that too failed to mitigate the shuttling woes between the two hospitals.

Impact on Patients

Ground Report spoke to various patients who said that the absence of a safe crossing adversely impacts their health position. “Patients who are already suffering from various ailments find themselves in a precarious situation each time they have to cross the road”, they said.

Shabir Ahmad, a Srinagar resident says that the stress and anxiety of navigating through heavy traffic can exacerbate the health conditions of patients, adding he says that the absence of an overhead bridge is leading to heightened discomfort and potential setbacks in the patient recovery process.

An attendant of a patient at SSH hospital said that patients with limited mobility, such as the older people, disabled, or those on stretchers, face more significant challenges while crossing from one hospital to another.

“Crossing a congested road for a patient without assistance can be an arduous task, it requires additional physical effort but that often leads to undue strain on bodies. Absence of the overhead bridge not only compromises the patient's safety but also undermines their dignity and overall quality of life”, he said.

Ground Report reached out to the Medical Superintendent at SSH, Dr. Jahangir Bakshi to seek his response on the status of the overhead bridge, and he said that there is a high need for the facility and that they have written a detailed report to the administrative authorities at GMC. 

A Distant Dream, but Not Forgotten

Ground Report spoke to many people around the SSH and SMHS hospital who said that although the overhead bridge connecting the two Hospitals remains a distant dream despite being sanctioned some years back. They said that it is essential to keep the vision alive. 

“The potential benefits of such a physical link are undeniable, promoting efficiency, enhancing patient care, and facilitating smoother operations between the two hospitals”, they said.

They say that despite the 2019 sanctioned project which continues to face delays and challenges, it is crucial to persevere and work towards its realization. 

“By addressing hurdles, technical complexities, and fostering collaboration, the dream of a seamless connection between SSH and SMHS Hospital can become a reality”, they said.

SSH AT A Glance

Regarded as one of the valley's top institutions for specialised healthcare, SSH currently operates more than 14 speciality departments. Admissions to the hospital or OPD consultations, on the other hand, are based on referrals from GMC or DHSK-affiliated facilities of the valley.

To get to either of these two hospitals, patients must cross the heavy traffic congested road, which connects to Srinagar's west side on one side and provides access to the city's central business district on the other. In many of the cases ambulances are being provided by the hospital authorities and local NGOs to shuttle the patients, but that too depends upon the availability of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Ground Report also reached out to the principal GMC to seek his response, but there was no response to any of the calls or messages on his official number.

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