Though Infant mortality is a pressing health issue but it does not attract the attention and intervention of the planners and policy framers of the health and medical education department which it deserves amid rising concerns of people on malnutrition an issue directly connected with the health of the children. Though G B Pant Super Specialty Children’s hospital caters to the increasing pediatric health emergencies of Srinagar and adjoining areas of Pulwama, Budgam and Ganderbal district but had the government set up such children hospitals in all the districts of both in Kashmir valley and Jammu division besides upgrading the chidren’s healthcare facilities in childrens hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu, the concerns of the people on infant mortality won’t have been rising with the intensity they are rising now. Long journey to reach the only children’s hospital in Srinagar could be the cause of deaths of many infants of several districts of North and South Kashmir. What merits a mention is the fact that hundreds of infant deaths at the G B Pant Children’s hospital had triggered a major row in 2012 and even one report had confirmed the death of 1400 infant deaths at the hospital which had forced the then Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress collation government of erstwhile J&K state to probe the infant deaths reported at the hospital. Unfortunately neither the then Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress coalition nor the successive popular governments thereafter accorded due priority to investment for upgradation of childrens health care facilities either in hospitals in the twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu or in tertiary hospitals in semi-urban and rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir. Even this time infants are admitted at G B Pant Super Specialty Chidrens hospitals day in and day out and while some survive after spending weeks on ventilators, some others die. Unfortunately even media does not report about the status of infants admitted at G B Pant Childrens Hospital for treatment day in and day out. Though the need for super specialty children hospitals at district headquarters is growing year after year but the construction of children hospitals at district headquarters is apparently not on the priority list of the health & medical education department.
Forget about super specialty children hospitals at district headquarters, even the posting of pediatricians’ in hospitals in semi urban and rural areas is a pressing health issue which if resolved would reduce the apprehensions of the people on mortality of infants. In fact quality health care facilities for children if made available in hospitals in semi urban and rural areas won’t only reduce the people’s concerns on mortality of infants but would also reduce the increasing intensity of malnutrition predominantly found among children in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir like several states and union territories of the country.
So investment for super specialty children hospitals at district headquarters in Jammu & Kashmir is a pressing issue which deserves rhe attention and intervention of the health and medical education department. Unless and until special focus is not laid on investments in upgradation of heath facilities for children in tertiary health care sector, the growing concerns on infant mortality rates can’t be reduced. Forget about super specialty children hospitals at district headquarters, even the posting of pediatricians’ in hospitals in semi urban and rural areas is a pressing health issue which if resolved would reduce the apprehensions of the people on mortality of infants. In fact quality health care facilities for children if made available in hospitals in semi urban and rural areas won’t only reduce the people’s concerns on mortality of infants but would also reduce the increasing intensity of malnutrition predominantly found among children in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir like several states and union territories of the country.
