The District Hospital in Kulgam has been grappling with technical woes as both its digital X-Ray and analyzer machines are lying defunct, causing immense hardships to the patients in need of critical diagnostic services.
A staff member of the hospital told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that both the Digital X-ray and Analyzer machines at District Hospital Kulgam have been non-operational.
Regarding the X-ray machine, he said it has been lying defunct for the past two days due to technical issues.
“The Analyzer machine, on the other hand, is a decade old and frequently malfunctions, with occurrences happening as often as 3 to 4 times per month. These machines play a vital role in the hospital due to the high patient volume it serves,” the employee said.
Ghulam Mohammad, a patient, commenting on the recurring machine failures, said that whenever he visits the hospital, some of its machines are not working.
“This time, I came for a test, but the machine is lying defunct. Authorities should invest in new equipment to prevent such inconveniences in the future, sparing patients from further hardship,” he said.
A senior health official told KNO that the hospital has initiated manual X-ray procedures to ensure patients continue to receive necessary diagnostic care during this disruption.
He said engineers and technicians have been diligently working to resolve the issues with the Digital X-ray machine, which will be made operational again soon.
Regarding the Analyzer machine, the official outlined steps to expedite the installation of a new analyzer within the hospital’s laboratory.
“A tender has been floated for the procurement of the necessary equipment, with the goal of restoring comprehensive diagnostic services to patients within the next 15 days. Additionally, the hospital administration is planning to enhance its diagnostic capabilities by introducing a new Hematology Analyzer, further improving healthcare services for the community.” official said—(KNO)