Bisma Bhat
Srinagar: Employees providing healthcare in Kashmir are finding it difficult to reach their respective workplaces in wake of the communication blockade and restrictions imposed in the region since August 5 when government of India revoked Article 370.
While most government offices and educational institutions have remained nonfunctional since then, the emergency services especially hospitals have remained active throughout this phase.
Syed Azeem, a male nurse at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital here has to come all the way from Sopore in north Kashmir to attend his duty.
“We have to attend our duties by any means. It is very difficult for us to reach to the hospital in such conditions. When you have no transport available on roads, sometimes we have to walk miles until someone offers us a lift,” Azeem told The Kashmir Monitor.
According to the hospital roster, he is scheduled for a 48-hour duty per week.
Azeem said that the hospital provides transport facility within 8-10 km and not more than that.
“Most of us are from villages and we have to arrange the transport on our own. It is a very tense situation in villages. Sometime we approach the concerned district hospitals for transport but most of the times, it does not work out,” said Azeem.
A resident doctor at SMHS hospital said “this is a very tough time for all of us”.
“But the doctors have to serve the society no matter what the situation is. No doubt we are provided with the transport facilities but sometimes we are caught in clashes and it is hard to manage in those conditions,” he said.
“I reside in Chadoora and many times, I have reached hospital almost on foot as roads were deserted. I have walked 15 km to reach the hospital in recent past,” he said.
