Pulwama, Oct 11: Residents of Tral in south Kashmir have expressed concern over the shortage of specialist doctors and inadequate healthcare infrastructure at Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Tral, alleging that patients are being forced to seek treatment at private hospitals or travel to Srinagar.
The residents said the hospital lacked specialist doctors and adequate medical facilities to cater to the healthcare needs of the local population. They said the shortage was particularly affecting economically weaker families, who struggle to afford treatment outside the area.
Javed Ahmad, a resident of Gujjar Basti in Tral, said financially disadvantaged patients could not afford the high cost of treatment at private hospitals, while travelling to Srinagar for consultations and specialised care was also difficult for many families.
“We cannot afford treatment at private hospitals. We are also unable to travel to Srinagar due to extreme poverty. We request the government to make specialist doctors available at Sub-District Hospital Tral,” Ahmad said.
Residents said the hospital lacked specialists, including an orthopaedic doctor and a radiologist, causing inconvenience to patients requiring specialised consultations and diagnostic services. They said the absence of these specialists often compelled patients to seek medical attention elsewhere.
They also raised concerns over the hospital’s bed capacity, which they put at around 30, and called for an immediate expansion of the facility to meet the growing healthcare needs of Tral and its adjoining areas.
“The current bed capacity of the hospital is around 30, and it needs to be upgraded immediately,” residents said.
According to the residents, the hospital caters to more than 120 villages, making the availability of specialist doctors and adequate infrastructure essential for providing accessible healthcare to the region’s population.
They also alleged that political representatives had failed to address the problems facing the hospital despite its importance to the local population.
The residents urged the government and the concerned health authorities to fill specialist vacancies, upgrade medical infrastructure and increase the hospital’s bed capacity.
They said strengthening SDH Tral would enable patients, particularly those from economically weaker sections, to access essential healthcare services closer to home and reduce their dependence on expensive private hospitals and travel to Srinagar.
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