Residents of Tral hamlet in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have expressed concern over the non-functionality of the USG (ultrasound) machine at Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Tral due to the unavailability of a radiologist.
According to the locals, the absence of a radiologist has forced a large number of patients from Tral and its surrounding areas to seek ultrasound services at District Hospital Pulwama or other distant hospitals.
Abbas Ahmad, a local, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that despite the health center having a high-end USG machine, the lack of a radiologist means patients must travel several kilometers to Pulwama for a simple ultrasound.
“The hospital serves a large patient base from Tral town and adjacent areas, but without a radiologist, we have no choice but to travel far to get ultrasounds done,” Ahmad said, adding, “Many people in the upper areas of Tral belong to financially weak families and cannot afford the cost of private clinics.”
Residents said they have repeatedly raised this issue with the concerned authorities but to no avail. They said poor patients are left with no option but to conduct ultrasounds at private facilities when the public hospital’s services are unavailable.
“We have brought this issue to the attention of the concerned authorities numerous times, but nothing has been done,” they said.
Residents have appealed to Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK), and other relevant authorities to address the matter at the earliest to alleviate their suffering.
An official from the health department told KNO that there is only one radiologist for the entire district, making it impossible for him to manage CT scans at every hospital.
“The issue has been taken up with higher authorities, and we hope for necessary action soon,” he added—(KNO)