Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Jul 21 : District Hospital Bandipora has remained without a Medical Superintendent (MS) for 20 consecutive days, following the appointment of a new official on June 28 who has yet to take charge.
The resulting administrative vacuum has disrupted several hospital functions, including routine operations and financial procedures.
In the absence of a dedicated MS, the District Health Officer (DHO) is managing the hospital’s affairs in an additional capacity. However, staff say the arrangement is proving difficult to sustain as the DHO is already burdened with district-level responsibilities.
Key services such as procurement, supervision of medical staff, and clearance of pending files are reportedly affected. Hospital staff members say that several documents requiring the MS’s approval have been lying pending for days, causing delays in various departments.
“We don’t know who to approach for decisions that usually require the superintendent’s signature,” a senior staffer told the news agency. “Files are piling up, and routine administration has slowed down.”
The absence of the Medical Superintendent has also led to a lack of coordination in patient care, particularly during evening and night shifts when supervision is critical. Some patients and their attendants expressed concern over the situation.
“In some cases, we are asked to visit the MS office, but no one is there. It won’t work like this. The government should clarify the situation,” said Shakeel Ahmad, an attendant. He added that the hospital is in complete chaos these days, which is bound to happen when any institution remains headless.
Hospital sources said that certain services and administrative coordination between departments have been affected due to the leadership gap.
Employees have urged the Health Department to ensure that the newly appointed Medical Superintendent joins at the earliest. “This is a district-level hospital. It cannot run smoothly without its head,” said a hospital employee.
Repeated attempts to reach health officials for comment remained unanswered
