Jammu: Response inadequate: NC MLA Choudhary over Badhaal crisis

Javaid Iqbal Choudhary has accused the Jammu GMC principal of not transferring patients to Chandigarh, latter denies allegations, claims PGIMER in Chandigarh conveyed its inability to accept children citing non-availability of beds Security personnel keep vigil in Badhaal village of Rajouri drict. (PTI file) Javaid Iqbal Choudhary, National Conference (NC) MLA from the Budhal assembly constituency, on Thursday said that dual power system in Jammu and Kashmir, communication gap and lieutenant governor (LG) calling shots in the bureaucracy were responsible for the staggered and inadequate response of the government to a serious and alarming health crisis of Badhaal village. He appealed to the Centre to declare Badhaal health crisis a national health emergency. Addressing mediapersons at Rajouri, Choudhary said, “IAF provided a chopper for airlifting three sers from Rajouri to Jammu on Wednesday. Though they had to be evacuated to PGIMER in Chandigarh, they were retained at the Jammu GMC due to dual power system in J&K.” “Requisite arrangements were not done for an air-ambulance to take patients to the PGIMER in Chandigarh. While chief miner does not have full authority, IAS officers are under LG’s control. Therefore, system didn’t respond the way we wanted it to,” he said. The MLA also slammed Jammu GMC principal Dr Ashutosh Gupta, claiming he had an ego clash with PGIMER authorities. “He told us that the PGIMER does not have beds and ventilators,” he said while claiming that PGIMER authorities informed him that they had kept beds and were waiting for the patients (three sers). However, Dr Gupta said that the GMC authorities contacted with the PGIMER. “Despite repeated requests and in the best interest of sick patients, the PGIMER adminration conveyed their inability to accept the children citing non-availability of beds,” he stated. “Considering the critical situation, the children were immediately shifted to the SMGS Hospital, Jammu, where experts shifted them to the isolation ward and started the appropriate treatment,” he said, adding that a child’s condition deteriorated, and she was immediately put on ventilator and necessary interventions were started. “Timely and high-end interventions available in the ICU actually changed any adverse outcome which could have happened if the children were enroute to PGIMER Chandigarh,” he added. Further, the attending doctors are in touch with their counterparts at PGIMER and are sharing medical updates on patients admitted at the PGIMER and the Jammu GMC. Meanwhile, Choudhary also said that home miner’s central team has lifted samples which are still lying in Rajouri. “The samples should have been airlifted to reputed research labs on priority for tests,” he said.