Srinagar, Oct 16: Patients at the maternity hospital in Soura, Srinagar, are reportedly facing difficulties due to the unavailability of basic diagnostic services during night hours, with attendants alleging that they are being asked to arrange even routine urine tests from outside the hospital.
The concern has been raised in view of the hospital’s substantial maternity patient load, with hundreds of women reportedly visiting the facility for childbirth-related care and treatment.
An attendant from Ganderbal told Kashmir News Trust that he had brought a woman experiencing labour pains to the hospital for medical attention. At around 11 pm, he said, the doctor asked him to get a urine test conducted outside the facility.
When he went out to arrange the test, he found that the shops were closed at that hour, leaving him distressed and uncertain about how to proceed.
The attendant questioned why patients admitted to a major maternity hospital should have to look for basic diagnostic services outside the facility, particularly during late-night hours when access to private testing facilities may be limited.
He said patients and their attendants should not be left to navigate such difficulties while seeking timely medical care and urged the hospital authorities to ensure that essential diagnostic services remain available around the clock.
The allegations raise concerns about the availability of basic investigations during night shifts at a facility catering to women requiring maternity care. [KNT]
