Srinagar, December 19, 2011 : Alteast 900 Kashmiri people who were injured in 2010 mass agitation by the paramilitary forces and police men were treated only in district hospitals Srinagar, the authorities has said in reply to a RTI petition filed in this regard.
An RTI (Right To Information) has revealed that nearly 900 persons were injured in Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Budgam, Ganderbal, Islamabad, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama areas during last year’s uprising. It does not include those of the injured who were treated at the city hospitals associated with Government Medical College or at the Soura Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar as these do not fall under the Health Services directorate. In many cases, patients had been referred to them directly.
Javaid Ahmed Tak, Chairman, of a non-governmental organization, Humanity Welfare Helpline (NGO), had filed the RTI. The information provided by Directorate of Health Services Kashmir said the highest number of injured were 335 from Pulwama district followed by Shopian and Budgam with 108. The number of injured in Kulgam was 57, Baramulla - 74, Bandipora - 45, Kupwara -55 and 67 in Islamabad town.
The information provided by Directorate of Health Services Kashmir under RTI application number DHSK/RTI-14/128 said the highest number of injured were 335 from Pulwama district followed by Shopian and Budgam with 108 each.
The administration of Kupwara sub district hospital in its reply said that out of total injured, 15 were referred to Srinagar-based hospitals for treatment. The list has been separately submitted by sub district and district hospitals. The details included in the list are name, parentage, place of residence, nature of injury, place of treatment or details about if referred to other hospitals.
The list of injured is only from district and sub district hospitals of these areas of the district hospitals. The list does not include the patients who were directly referred to SMHS or other associated hospitals in Srinagar.
“However, the list of injured persons dealt by SMHS, associated hospitals and Soura Medical Institution can be from them as they are not under the administrative control of this directorate,” the reply submitted by Directorate of Health Services said.
According to unconfirmed reports, around 300 persons injured in the police and CRPF action across the city had been treated at various city hospitals, including the Soura institute of Medical Sciences, SMHS, Bone and Joint Hospital, a report said.
It may be recalled that at least 122 civilians including females, mostly teenagers and, were killed in firing and tear smoke shelling by the police and paramilitary troopers during the 2010 mass uprising sparked off by the killing of Saidakadal student, Tufail Ahmad Matoo, near Gani Memorial stadium in Srinagar by paramilitary forces fire. According to their families and the local human rights activists, the police have not registered even the FIRs in these killings so far.
Instead, reports said, thousands of protesters had been arrested in police raids. Many of them were detained under the draconian law, Public Safety Act. Some of them had even been set free after the courts quashed their detentions.