As mercury falls below freezing point, Kashmiris with chest problems have nowhere to go

Hundreds of old people, including a large number of women, are facing a new problem as the Chest Disease Hospital of Srinagar, situated at Dalgate, is a Covid-designated hospital and they have nowhere to go.

With mercury falling below the freezing point, it is an alarming situation for all those having problems related to the chest and these problems get multiplied due to the cold wave.

“I came twice with my parents to Chest Disease hospital of Srinagar but was sent back by doctors asking me to buy oxygen cylinders for them and to keep them at home,” said Muhammad Afzal Malik of Kulgam who is now treating his parents at home instead of in the hospital.

Reports said that dozens of patients who need hospitalization having low oxygen levels and other brochette problems, have no hospital available and many of them even avoid coming for day consultation due to the Covid patients being treated in the same hospitals.

Most of the J&K health services officers refused to comment and Director Health Services was not available for any comments over this situation in the Chest Disease Hospital of Srinagar.

According to the MET official, on Friday mercury plunged by two degrees in Srinagar, while the minimum temperature elsewhere in the valley stayed mostly 10 degrees below freezing point.

According to the MET official Srinagar recorded minus 7.7 degrees Celsius while the Qazigund known as gateway of Kashmir recorded a minimum of 10.8 degrees Celsius down from minus 10.5 degrees Celsius.

Gulmarg Ski resort and Pahalgam health resort continued to witness further dip in sub-zero temperatures while the rest of the valley including all the border districts especially Baramulla minus 13.4 degrees Celsius.