Srinagar: Despite the completion of the Maternity Care Hospital’s (MCH) construction two years ago in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district and load of patients overwhelming the maternity wards of its adjacent health facility, the newly-constructed building is yet to be made functional.

As per the news agency Current News of India (CNI), the pregnant women, who are currently being operated in another hospital building, said that the opening of the MCH hospital, especially constructed for expecting mothers, would have been a relief for patients like them.

“The labour wards in the general hospital are lacking space to accommodate all the patients. We have to face lots of problems on account of it and it is not also safe for newborns as well as given the congestion in the labour wards,” said one of the patients.

The opening of the MCH would have enhanced the maternity care service and also would have relieved the burden on this hospital, which has been stretched due to the flow of patients, said another patient.

“If the MCH is complete then the authorities need to open it as the patients here are suffering on multiple fronts, which can be addressed only by the operationalisation of the new hospital,” said an attendant, accompanying his pregnant spouse.

While talking to the Medical Superintendent DH Kulgam, Dr Gulzar Ahmad, regarding the issue, he said the problem being faced by them in opening of the Maternity Care Hospital is the lack of staff and other manpower that is vital for is functionalising.

He also acknowledged that the inconvenience arising out of the lack of space in the labour wards for the patients and said, “Although we have lots of things to consider before starting MCH, still we will try our best to get it done in early summer provided that we get required staff and equipment for it.(CNI) Current News of India