Tables, chairs, racks: SMHS hospital converts unused ventilators into pieces of furniture

Srinagar:  As Kashmir gasps for breath, SMHS hospital uses brand new ventilators as tables, chairs, and racks.

With demand for ventilators soaring, SMHS stockpiled 50 new oxygen machines for the last one month. Height of the things is that the new machines are being used as pieces of furniture for doctors and patients.

Sources told The Kashmir Monitor that the hospital administration has already conveyed to government that the ventilators are not of highest quality and many of them are not able to maintain required oxygen supply.

Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar Dr. Samia Rashid said nobody has been denied ventilators. “SMHS has received around 140 ventilators of different brands. There are some ventilators that have developed some issues. We have procured them through the PM Care Fund. I have already raised the issue and concerns with the department,” she said. 

Some of the ventilators, she added, had some software issues. “We are trying to sort it out. Within two weeks, they have promised they will be functional. Some of them were not able to maintain the full pressure of oxygen,” she said

However, everybody doesn’t require a ventilator, she noted. “We have installed 70 ventilators. Of which  23 are functional and 47 are dysfunctional, We are waiting for the engineers to fix them. These people came through the PM Care Fund and JK MSL,” she said.

Nodal Officer GMC, Srinagar, Dr. Salim Khan said associated hospitals have adequate ventilators for the patients. “There is no death due to the dearth of ventilators,” he claimed.