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Baramulla Hospital's Lifeline Fails: 13 Ventilators Down
10 Sep
Summary
- Thirteen of fourteen ventilators at Baramulla GMC have been non-functional for nine months.
- No expenditure on equipment repair and maintenance recorded since January 1, 2020.
- Missing consumables and delayed parts cited as reasons for prolonged equipment downtime.
Thirteen of the fourteen paediatric and neonatal ventilators at Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla, have been non-functional for nine months, leaving only one operational machine. This critical shortage impacts North Kashmir's largest health institution, which has also recently dealt with a non-operational CT scan machine.
Information obtained via RTI reveals zero expenditure on equipment repair and maintenance since January 1, 2020. While no machines were officially declared beyond repair, the prolonged downtime is attributed to missing consumables and delayed replacement parts, with procurement and repair requests remaining pending.
Although the warranties for some ventilators have expired, the maintenance contract for others remains valid until November 15, 2026. The health minister's office has been notified of the lapse and has issued instructions for a thorough investigation into the matter.
