Faculty members, Sr Residents to be engaged
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, May 8: After Excelsior reported the non-engagement of doctors from non-clinical departments at GMC Srinagar amid a surge in COVID cases, the Government today directed all the hospitals across J&K to immediately utilize the services of the faculty members as well as residents from other departments for COVID care.
In a letter marked as urgent, Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department Atal Dulloo has directed Principal, GMC Anantnag, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua and Rajouri along with the Principal GMC, Srinagar and Jammu to comply with the directives. The Director SKIMS, Soura and the Principal SKIMS Medical College and Hospital, Bemina have also been directed to utilize the services of the doctors from the non-clinical departments.
The letter stated that during the first wave of COVID-19 during 2020, to overcome the crises and to meet the possible contingencies, the services of Faculty Members, Senior Residents, as well as PGs of other clinical and non-clinical departments, were utilized for the care of the COVID patients in the respective GMCs as well as institutions.
“Now, in light of sudden upsurge of COVID-19 positive cases in Union Territory of J&K, there is an urgent need to strengthen the manpower in the designated COVID care centres so that the patients are properly looked after,” the letter read.
The Financial Commissioner stated in the letter “it is desired that the Duty Roster of the Faculty Members, Senior Residents, PGs in other departments who are presently not involved in the COVID care be prepared and all such doctors be put on the roster duty.”
All the heads of the GMCs and other institutions addressed in the letter have been directed to share the copy of the duty roster with the office of the Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department by today positively.
It is to be noted here that only the doctors from the Department of Medicine were engaged for the COVID duty while the rest of the departments worked at 50% capacity and less work because of suspension of OPDs and other services, while as the doctors presently taking care of the COVID patients had started to complain about the extra burden keeping in view the daily admissions of the COVID patients.
Also, as the bed strength for the COVID patients across J&K was witnessing an increase with every passing day as positive cases swelled, less attention was being given towards increasing the manpower for better patient care. The directives from the Financial Commissioner, the doctors told Excelsior is a relief for the overstretched.
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