WE THE PEOPLE
Rainawari Psychiatric Hospital Lacks Drugs, Lacks Adequate Man-power, Needs more Space
Hence People urge Govt., to equip it with Requisite Staff and ensure availability of Drugs to make it Vibrant
By: MNS/ Rameez
Srinagar: While continuing our Survey, we have covered most parts of Kashmir valley and today the Rainawari Psychiatric Hospital in summer capital, Srinagar is our topic. This is the main psychiatric healthcare facility of the Kashmir Valley. The hospital is located about 5 kilometers from the city center. The hospital is usually abuzz with activity as large number of patients and their attendants visit this hospital on daily bases which suggest that there are growing numbers of psychiatric problems in the valley.
This healthcare facility happens to be one of few facilities in the Kashmir valley offering treatment for mental health ailment, many of which have cropped up by ongoing turmoil which hit Kashmir nearly two decades ago. The hospital is good examples of professional excellence as the efforts put in by doctors and administration to serve the common masses are worth admiration.
One does not witness a lot of Chaos, public anger and lack of management which has otherwise become trademark of our public sector hospitals.
Ghulam Mustafa , a patient attendant said, “We are to a large extent satisfied with the treatment provided here. The behaviour of doctors towards the patients is quiet excellent. But there are some shortcomings that need to be addressed to make the hospital achieve excellence. The hospital faces dearth of human resource as more doctors and employees can be appointed to meet the huge inflow of patients every day. Also from quiet sometime the patients are facing acute shortage of drugs which should be made available to them immediately so that they do not get fleeced by the private medical stores.”
As per the records of the psychiatric hospital in Srinagar, there were only few hundred cases of mental illness registered in 1989, but this has gone up to thousands in the present times. Women and children of the Kashmir are the most vulnerable to psychiatric problems.
Adil Amin, a student said, “Psychiatric problems in Kashmir have witnessed an abnormal spurt. The ongoing violence, daily intimidation and fear for missing relatives have a severe impact on their mental health. Large-scale unemployment coupled with the absence of social life has led to an intense feeling of frustration and despair among young people. As a result of conflict like situation coupled with lack of economic opportunities the psychiatric problems are escalating in Kashmir.”
According to estimates, in the Kashmir valley until late eighties, there were on average just 5 to 6-patients per day attending the Out Patient Department (OPD) of the Psychiatric Hospital located at the Rainwara, Srinagar. But, currently on an average at least hundred patients visit the OPD on daily bases suggesting increase in psychiatric problems.
DR.Maqbool Ahmad, a senior psychiatrist in the Rainawari Hospital, while talking to Mirror of Kashmir with reference to above observations stated: “We are facing shortage of some of the drugs on account of some technical flaws which have now been cleared and soon the drug availability in the hospital would be enhanced so that it meets the desired expectations. We are facing shortage of human resource as several posts are lying vacant and through your medium we would like to request the government to fill these vacancies immediately so that shortage is met. The lack of psychiatric facilities at rural areas is also adding to the flow of patients to these hospitals in a big way.”
The realities suggest that Government should add more psychiatric facilities so that fewer burdens are faced by this hospital and vacant posts should be filled.
More 
