The decision is not merely about quick movement of ambulances carrying critically ill patients for advanced treatments to district hospitals and top referral hospitals of summer capital Srinagar but it is also about penalising those obstructing the ambulance movements on highways and inters district routes.
Knowing that hassle free movement of hospital ambulances has a direct bearing on delivery of critical health services in hospitals in Jammu & Kashmir like other parts of the country the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir has in a path breaking initiative devised a mechanism for speedy movement of ambulances carrying patients for advanced treatments to district hospitals and top referral hospitals of Srinagar the summer capital. Though health department should have evolved a workable mechanism for quickest movement of ambulances carrying patients to district hospitals and top referral hospitals of twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu almost a decade ago but the decision taken even now by the Directorate Of Health Services Kashmir and transport department with emphasis on cooperation and coordination for hassle free movement of ambulances on inter district routes will surely prevent thousands of patients from slipping into death traps annually. Since the rise in preventable deaths in road accidents is being also attributed to unprecedented delays in transportation of critically ill patients from accidents sites to tertiary care hospitals and more so on most of the highways connecting twin capital cities with the district headquarters, administrative wisdom demands that the decision is implemented not only in Kashmir Valley but also in Jammu division. The decision is not merely about quick movement of ambulances carrying critically ill patients for advanced treatments to district hospitals and top referral hospitals of summer capital Srinagar but it is also about penalising those obstructing the ambulance movements on highways and inters district routes.
“While a mechanism has been devised for quick movement of ambulances carrying critically ill patients to district hospitals top referral hospital of Srinagar, administrative wisdom demands that a mechanism to oversee the movement of ambulances on highway and inter district routes is also devised for strict implementation of the decision. Monthly joint review meetings by Directorate of Health Services Kashmir and Transport Department could be one of the strongest measures for forceful implementation of the decision. The decision if enforced forcefully won’t just prevent the deaths of critically ill patients but it will also improve the functioning emergency health services at district hospitals and top referral hospital of twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu.”
Merely announcing such a decision won’t make any difference unless and until it is not enforced forcefully with the active cooperation and coordination of all the concerned agencies. So the implementation of the decision matters more than it’s announcement. While a mechanism has been devised for quick movement of ambulances carrying critically ill patients to district hospitals top referral hospital of Srinagar, administrative wisdom demands that a mechanism to oversee the movement of ambulances on highway and inter district routes is also devised for strict implementation of the decision. Monthly joint review meetings by Directorate of Health Services Kashmir and Transport Department could be one of the strongest measures for forceful implementation of the decision. The decision if enforced forcefully won’t just prevent the deaths of critically ill patients but it will also improve the functioning emergency health services at district hospitals and top referral hospital of twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu.
