This dedicated nurse walked 40 km through Srinagar's curfew and riots to reach her hospital
Nearly 1,500 people have been reported to be injured in Kashmir, with the number steadily rising. The hospitals in the valley are overcrowded and understaffed. The curfew hours are not making life any easier. In a precarious situation like this, a dedicated nurse working at the general specialty SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, walked 40 kilometres to get to work, reported The Huffington Post.
Firdousa Rashid, from Tangmarg in north Kashmir, walked for several hours to make sure she reached work. With the curfew on, the public transport system was in doldrums. “I knew there was less staff in the hospital. Duty was important as my job involves saving lives in the Surgical ICU of SMHS hospital. What is the use of ICU if there is no nurse there?,” Firdousa told Greater Kashmir.
Firdousa said she left home at 7.45 in the morning and reached the hospital at 2.45 pm. She first walked from Tangmarg to Magam, a distance of roughly 20 kilometres. Following that, she flagged down an ambulance passing by, which took her a few more kilometres ahead and then to reach the hospital, she braved another 15-20 kilometres on foot. Firdousa said that she had to get to the hospital to relieve the other nurses who had been working for two days at a stretch, with almost no break.
The Tribune reports: “At associated hospitals of the Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, routine admissions and surgeries have been cancelled to accommodate the youths injured in action by police and paramilitary forces across Kashmir.” SMHS hospital took the worst hit during the emergency with several people succumbing to their injuries in the overly crowded hospital, despite receiving treatment. Up to five critical surgeries were being conducted by the hospital simultaneously at any given time, reported Greater Kashmir.
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