Srinagar, Nov 21: A critical healthcare facility along the treacherous Srinagar-Baramulla highway remains abandoned, symbolizing administrative neglect and missed opportunities to save lives.
Nestled between Pattan and Srinagar, the Trauma Hospital stands as a ghostly testament to bureaucratic inertia. Constructed 18 years ago, the facility remains unopened despite being strategically located on one of Kashmir’s most accident-prone routes.
Local residents express deep frustration. “We donated land expecting a lifesaving facility, but we received nothing,” said one landowner. Another resident highlighted the human cost: “I’ve witnessed accidents where victims could have survived if this hospital was operational.”
“It has been named a Trauma Hospital; it should have facilities like one,” said a local resident. “Its location on an accident-prone highway required immediate action, but nothing has been done.”
Another resident pointed to the risks posed by the delay. “We’ve been asking the authorities since 2008 to start this hospital. There are frequent accidents on this highway, and Soura is too far for us. This hospital could save lives, but it is just lying idle.”
The delay has not only caused public discontent but also angered those who donated land for its construction. “We gave around 7 to 8 Kanals of land to the then in-power PDP for building this hospital, but we got nothing in return,” said a resident from the area.
The importance of the hospital was highlighted again today, November 21, 2024, when an accident occurred near the facility’s location. Locals lament that such incidents underscore the urgent need for an operational hospital.
“This stretch of the highway sees accidents regularly,” said a local. “I remember one incident when a man lost so much blood while being taken to Soura that his family feared for his life. If this hospital had been functional, it could have saved him.”
Ironically, the building was briefly used as a quarantine centre during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising questions about why it has not been equipped to fulfill its original purpose.
Farooq Ahmad (name changed) expressed his disappointment, stating, “This hospital was meant for humans, but it has become a shelter for animals. Eighteen years have passed, but it feels like nothing has changed.”
Efforts to reach the authorities for comments were unsuccessful, as calls to relevant officials went unanswered.
For residents, the hospital represents a broken promise. “This was supposed to be a trauma centre, a ray of hope for accident victims. Instead, it has become a monument of neglect,” said a local.
With accidents continuing on this busy highway, locals are calling on authorities to act quickly and open the facility. For now, the hospital remains a symbol of unmet needs and missed opportunities to save lives.
