Original (en)

Srinagar, May 6: Critical care in Kashmir is on a ventilator. For decades, the number of functional ventilators has struggled to suffice the deployment capacity relative to hospital bed strength. The inadequate availability of ventilators in Kashmir is costing lives. Patients who could survive with proper life support are being left without access, as the available life-support system is severely short in strength. The specialty hospitals in Kashmir - SKIMS Soura, SMHS Hospital, and the Super Specialty Hospital heavily rely on ventilators as the backbone of critical care for trauma, post-surgical recovery, respiratory failure, cardiac events, and complex neurosurgeries. The Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS 2022) and NABH-aligned norms mandate ICU beds to be 5 to 10 percent of total hospital beds in general tertiary settings. It must be 8 to 10 percent ideal for high-acuity referral centres. Ventilators required are roughly one per ICU bed plus 10 to 20 percent reserves for emergencies, OT recovery, and transport as per these standards. In J&K, some medical norms cited suggest a baseline of 5 ventilators per 100 beds. When assessed against these standards, the gap in Kashmir’s major hospitals is stark. The functional ventilators fall well short of what bed strength and patient load demand. Even before providing discounts on the basis of chronic manpower shortages and limited physical ICU space, the sheer deployment is low. At this Institute which has 1050 beds, at least 50 to 100 functional ventilators must be available. Only 40 are. Last week, Director SKIMS , and Ex-Officio Secretary to Government (EOSG) Prof Muhammad Ashraf Ganaie said at least 40 more ICU beds would be added to the institute, one each in a ward. The move is aimed at providing critical care to more patients, and save more lives. SKIMS Soura is Kashmir’s apex referral institute as a high-acuity tertiary centre with dedicated cancer, cardiac, neuro, and paediatric ICUs. A 20