Report from Ground Zero,
Bilal Bhat for IndiaTomorrow.net,
Srinagar, July 14: On the 7th day of the unrest which started after the killing of Hibzbul Mujahideen commander, Burhan Wani, the death toll in Kashmir reached 37 while over 1500 are injured. The hospital administrations across Kashmir continue to receive injured people whose number, medicos say, has crossed 1500 forcing the doctors to declare medical emergency in the Valley.
Presently about 240 injured persons are being treated at SMHS hospital in Srinagar — 103 have received pellets in eyes and six are in intensive eye care units. Some 62 are being treated in orthopaedic department, doctors revealed to IndiaTommorow.net.
“Almost 103 people have suffered pellet injuries in eyes. We have conducted about 87 eye surgeries. We have about 30 people with severe eye injuries who may have chances to lose their eyesight which we can tell you after the proper reassessment,” Dr Kaisar, Principle Government Medical College said, while confirming the two have become completely blind.
“We have shifted five persons to Shereen Bagh Super Speciality hospital for neurosurgeries. 15 people are on ventilators and one person is removed with spleen,” he said while describing the gravity of the situation in Kashmir.
The medicos and volunteers blame the wanton use of force by the police and CRPF personnel for the macabre of death and destruction in Kashmir. They claimed some ambulances ferrying the injured were also attacked by the police.
“It’s a war like situation as for the first time medical emergency has been declared in Kashmir,” a surgeon wishing anonymity said. “Videos of CRPF attacking ambulances are abuzz on social networking sites. We have never witnessed this situation, people are brought in critical condition with broken legs, ruptured abdomen and many with serious eye and head injuries.”
Some hospitals in Kashmir also had to face the brunt of angry CRPF and Police personnel who allegedly vandalized, thrashed and threw teargas inside the hospital premises forcing the doctors to condemn the brutal action.
Calling this a senseless act of brutality, President of Doctors Association Kashmir, Dr Nissar Ul Hassan said, “Targeting medical facility is a heinous crime and is inexcusable and unforgivable. This is wanton disregard to international humanitarian law under which medical facilities and personal must be protected.”
“Hospital staff is beaten and ambulances are damaged by forces for ferrying critically injured patients to hospitals. Instead of helping us in saving precious lives the forces unleash terror on us which results in unnecessary delay leading sometimes to death of the patients,” Adil Khan Durrani, an activist said.
When the bullet ridden body of 18-year-old Javid Ahmad was shifted from South Kashmir, Kulgam towards Srinagar, his ambulance was allegedly stopped and he along with attendants was beaten ruthlessly.
Javid has vivid memories about what actually happened on that day “I was crying with extreme pain and suddenly we were stopped. The angry CRPF men started breaking the window panes of the vehicle. It was extremely terrifying.”
“They forced my family to move out of the ambulance and then dragged me by hair. My family resisted but they overpowered us and kept us there for 25 minutes until Kashmir police intervened and they let us go,” he lamented.
Four-year-old Zohra Zahoor, his father and sister Nasreena also became the victim of the pellets when she was assisting her mother to a doctor. Hailing from the Qamarwari area of Srinagar, Zohra along with her family went to visit a local doctor but while they were making their way towards the medico they were forced by the police to stay inside. On denial, police allegedly attacked the family with pellet gun.
“We pleaded in front of him that we need to visit a doctor but in return the policemen present there shot pellets on us and leaving us in pool of blood,” the family receiving treatment at SMHS hospital said.
According to Zahoor Ahmad, who works with Amnesty International, forces are directly targeting the vital organs of the protesters which results in the death or disability of the injured.
“This is a humanitarian situation. No international rule is being followed to quell the protests. Most of the injured have received bullets above the waistline targeting the vital organs of the body like kidneys, spleen, liver and heart which results in their death,” he further said.
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Bilal Bhat is a freelance journalist in Srinagar.
