Srinagar: At a time when almost the entire health-care infrastructure in Srinagar city in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir has been rendered ineffective by the devastating floods, the Army’s 92 Base Hospital has saved more than 300 people including 35 newborns.
The army doctors, without a thought given to their own houses and families, have been working day and night at the 600-bed facility, the biggest army hospital in the Kashmir Valley.
The family of Riyaz Ahmad, whose three-month-old daughter was suffering from encephalitis, was preparing to face the worst as the doctors at the district hospital in Anantnag gave up hope.
“Doctors in Anantnag told us that they won’t be able to save our daughter and that we should take her home and be prepared for the worst,” Ahmad, a driver, said.
However, after flood waters entered his village, an army helicopter rescued the family. “They brought us to the army hospital here and since then the treatment of my daughter is on,” Ahmad said.
The doctors treating the infant say that she has fully recovered and is now out of danger.
“She was brought here in a critical condition but the baby girl is fine now and we will discharge her in a day or two,” said Brigadier NS Lamba, the commander of the 92 Base Hospital located at the Badami Bagh cantonment area.
Ahmad said that army doctors have performed a miracle by saving the life of his daughter. “Even if I have to give my life for them a thousand times, I will happily do that.
“These men here have given a new lease of life to my entire family,” Ahmad said.
Brigadier Lamba said that as soon as the water started entering the GB Panth children hospital in Srinagar city, the army hospital opened its doors for infants who were undergoing treatment at the hospital.
“The babies coming to our hospital from the GB Panth hospital were in the age group of one day old to a few months old.
“They were undergoing treatment for various diseases. Some of these babies were brought in critical condition as some were cases of premature deliveries and had to be kept in [the] ICU,” he said.
Despite the floods, he said, the army doctors have been regularly reporting to work.
“The houses of 17 of my officers including doctors and paramedics are still under water, but they are regularly coming to save the lives of the patients who were brought to this hospital,” Lamba said.
Ghulam Rasool, 70, a resident of Nowgam whose 27-day-old grandson is undergoing treatment at the ICU of the base hospital, said that he was indebted to the army for their timely help.
“They haven’t charged us a single penny and besides providing free treatment, medicines to the sick baby they are also taking caring of our family by giving us food and shelter here,” Rasool said.
