Pulwama is working to start a 50-bed critical care block

Authorities in South Kashmir's Pulwama district are hopeful of starting work on the 50-bed Critical Care Block (CCB), the foundation stone of which was practically laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024.

The Medical Superintendent (MS) of District Hospital (DH) Pulwama, Dr. Abdul Gani Dar, told Rising Kashmir that the construction is expected to start by the last week of July 2024.

Dr Dar said that the current casualty facility of the district hospital, which was established 15-20 years ago, has a capacity of about 20 beds and is often congested.

He emphasized the need for improvement and noted that the Government of India had announced the construction of critical care blocks in hospitals with high patient attendance.

The new CCB for Pulwama would be adjacent to the existing District Hospital.
“We identified the land and tested the soil. Construction will begin soon,” said Dr. Dar.

He also added that the 50-bed CCB will handle and cater to emergency situations across various specialties. Officials disclosed that the project is part of the Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package (ECRP) approved by the Government of India.

Officials believe that the establishment of CCBs will significantly increase the hospital's capacity to handle patients in need of critical care.

Notably, District Hospital Pulwama registers the highest number of patients in its Out-Patient Department (OPD) in Kashmir every day.
Apart from the new CCB, Dr. Dar disclosed plans to upgrade the hospital's blood bank
"We are starting a blood component separation facility in our hospital," he said, adding that the laboratory for this service has already been set up and some equipment is already there.

"We just need some minor equipment to start this facility," he added.
He said that once operational, this facility would be available at District Hospital Pulwama, following similar services at SKIMS and SMHS.

The Medical Superintendent revealed that the hospital achieved a great achievement after the ICTC (Integrated Counseling and Testing Centre) was approved by the National Accreditation Board for Laboratory Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

"This is only the second district hospital in the union territory to get NABL recognition," he said, adding that it demonstrates the efficiency with which tests are being conducted in the laboratory.