Attendant Sarai fails to serve purpose
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 22
The Attendant Sarai at Maheshpura Chowk, opposite Government Medical College, was set up for providing accommodation to attendants of patients coming from the far-off and rural areas for treatment at city hospitals. However, it has failed to serve the purpose because of lack of publicity and unavailability of facilities.

On an average, the occupancy rate at the sarai, having the capacity of accommodating 160 persons, is around 20 per cent. However, at present, the sarai has the capacity of only 56 persons (seven dormitories) as repair work is going on in other dormitories while the three upper floors have been closed to visitors.

Moreover, it has never witnessed the stay of more than 24 persons at a time.

Almost 10 months have passed since the inauguration of this five-storeyed building by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, but due to lack of publicity and unavailability of facilities, not many people have utilised the services of the sarai. This despite the fact that a nominal charge of Rs 60 per person per bed has been fixed by the Indian Red Cross Society.

When patients and their attendants at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) were asked whether they knew about the sarai, they replied in negative.

“Nobody told us about such a facility. If the government has constructed any such building, they should have also publicised it so that attendants can avail the facility. There is no information available at the hospital regarding the sarai, so how we come to know about it?” asked an attendant.

A visit to the sarai revealed that though the building was neat and clean, it was not equipped with basic facilities like telephone and a genset. Lift was also out of order.

An insider told The Tribune that the service provider had disconnected the telephone because its rent was not paid for a long period.

A person who recently stayed at the sarai said during rains, the sarai looks like a haunted house”.

“A large number of glasses have been used to make it beautiful from outside but when high velocity winds blow, they start shaking. Rainwater also enters into the building, so it’s of no use. One can’t sleep peacefully here,” said an attendant.

It has also been learnt that the staff deployed there is overburdened. The building has just one sweeper. There are two guards, each putting in 12 hours of duty. Besides, there are two clerks.

This building, constructed at a cost of Rs 3.29 crore, was a dream project of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who laid its foundation stone on March 18, 2008. After completion, the building was handed over to the Indian Red Cross Society for its maintenance and management.

Anil Padha, honorary secretary, Indian Red Cross Society, Jammu, said: “Publicity is an issue although the public has started staying here and it will take some more time for it to get full occupancy. We are going to put banners outside GMCH and SMGS Hospital to make the public aware of the sarai”.

He also assured that the repair work would be completed soon as the divisional commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal, had assured them of providing funds for this purpose.