Bandipora, Oct 28: Traders and civil society members in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have threatened to launch a hunger strike from Friday if the authorities fail to address the shortage of doctors at the district hospital and revoke the transfer order of a gynaecologist.
The Traders Federation and Civil Society Bandipora on Wednesday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the authorities, demanding the return of doctors drawing salaries from the district but attached to other health institutions.
They also demanded the cancellation of the transfer order of Dr Sheikh Firdous, a gynaecologist recently deployed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) Dawar in Gurez, expressing concern that the move could affect specialist healthcare services at District Hospital Bandipora.
Samshad Kuchay, district president of the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Union, said the district hospital was already facing a shortage of doctors and could not afford to lose its available specialists.
“The district hospital caters to patients from across Bandipora. When doctors are already in short supply, shifting specialists from here will only add to the difficulties faced by patients,” Kuchay said.
He said Dr Firdous had been managing the outpatient department and theatre services and was the only local gynaecologist available at the hospital.
“People should not have to travel outside the district for basic specialist treatment. The government must ensure adequate staffing at the district hospital instead of shifting doctors from one facility to another without addressing the overall shortage,” he said.
Local residents said the shortage of specialist doctors had been forcing patients, particularly pregnant women and those requiring emergency care, to depend on referrals to other hospitals.
They urged the health authorities to ensure that adequate medical staff remained available at District Hospital Bandipora while meeting the healthcare requirements of remote areas.
The latest protest threat comes days after a five-day hunger strike in Gurez over inadequate healthcare facilities was called off on October 26 following the deployment of two gynaecologists to CHC Dawar.
The Gurez protesters had demanded the deployment of specialist doctors, ambulances for Bagtore, Tulail and Dawar, and the operationalisation of the operation theatre and blood bank at the health facility.
The agitation followed the death of pregnant woman Haseena Begum and her baby, with protesters raising concerns over delays in accessing emergency medical care.
While the deployment of gynaecologists was welcomed in Gurez, the transfer of Dr Firdous from Bandipora has triggered concern among residents, who fear that addressing the shortage in one area could worsen the availability of specialist services in another.
The Traders Federation and Civil Society Bandipora urged the authorities to review the transfer decision and ensure that both District Hospital Bandipora and CHC Dawar have adequate specialist staff.
They said they would begin a hunger strike on Friday if their demands were not met within the stipulated 48 hours—(KNO)
