Kashmir so far had a constricted pediatric specialty, not because there was a dearth of specialists, but due to the lack of infrastructure and the necessary space for it to grow. This particular specialty in the healthcare system of J&K, especially Kashmir, could not, over the years, get the much-needed space as well as the crucial push from the Government. But that seems to have changed now. At Sonwar, where the Children’s Hospital was initially started, the space was limited and the same was, in a way, situated at the other far end of the city, which used to make it difficult for the people coming from the north to reach the hospital at ease. It was equally difficult for those coming from the south as well as those trying to reach the hospital with their ailing children from Srinagar city.
Even though some of the IPD operations are still on at the Sonwar, more than 90 percent of the operations are now being carried out at Bemina which is a sigh of relief for the people. Having it at a place on the National Highway makes it quite reachable for people coming from all sides—a big takeaway from it that needs to be acknowledged. At the same time, the hospital is also going to provide relief to other tertiary care hospitals located in Srinagar by being able to accommodate more and more patients and provide them a wide range of treatment facilities for which they were usually referred to other hospitals, and in several cases, out of J&K.
Further, it also needs to be noted that J&K has already witnessed an improvement in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) recently, and on top of that, when we see upgradation in the healthcare services, especially in pediatrics, there is a bright hope ahead that the IMR would improve further for sure. J&K is indeed marching ahead towards securing a top slot in the better and more effective healthcare services in the country and under the administration which is taking these matters quite seriously, there sure is going to be much more waiting ahead.
