2 months on, GMC Anantnag yet to install 14 ventilators received from GOI

ANANTNAG, Aug 29: Last month ago when Government of India (GOI) provided 14 ventilators to Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag to deal with the surging Covid-19 cases, people had hoped that the arrival of ventilators in the hospital will prevent the referrals of critical patients needing ventilatory support. However, more than month has passed, the ventilators are yet to be installed at the facility. As a result, most of the critically ill Covid-19 patients continue to be referred to Srinagar hospitals.
GMC Anantnag which started functioning last year had only two ventilators available before the outbreak of pandemic. Later when the Covid-19 cases in Kashmir valley started surging and the issue of non-availability of ventilators at the healthcare facility was highlighted by various sections of media, GOI provided 14 ventilators to the medical college.
Sources in the GMC said even after the passage of nearly two months since the ventilators reached the hospital, not a single ventilator has been installed.
"One wonders what these ventilators are meant for when they cannot be installed and used to save the lives in times of pandemic. Only two ventilators which were installed at the facility when it was functioning under the control of Directorate Health Services as district hospital are still there," said a source in GMC.
Number of patients from Anantnag and other nearby southern districts are being referred to Srinagar hospitals for ventilatory support.
A doctor at GMC said that ventilators lying uninstalled since their delivery speaks of the seriousness of authorities to deal with Covid-19.
"Earlier when patients were being referred GMC authorities were blaming non-availability of ventilators for such cases. But now they have 14 but are not getting them installed," the doctor said.
Principal GMC, Dr Showkat Jeelani said that the ventilators are supposed to be installed by the company engineers.
"An engineer of the company is here in the valley these days. He is perhaps in Baramulla. We have asked him to install the ventilators in the hospital. I think they will be installed in a week’s time or so. Since the ventilators have a warranty we cannot install them ourselves," Principal said.
Asked why they did not get the ventilators installed on urgent basis, the Principal said, "We manage the situation with just two ventilators already installed in the hospital".