*Even for ultra-sound, people are traveling huge distance
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 8: Notwithstanding tall claims of the BJP-PDP Coalition Government, the healthcare facilities in hilly and tough terrain districts of the State continued to remain dismal with numerous posts of specialist doctors lying vacant. The prevailing situation virtually amounts to playing with the lives of the people as they are compelled to travel huge distance even for availing the ultra-sound facility.
This can be gauged from the vacancy position in the District Hospitals in the erstwhile Doda district presently comprising of Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda districts. What to talk of other specialists, even posts of Radiologists, who play key role in diagnosis of many diseases and have an important role in monitoring treatment and predicting outcome, are lying vacant mainly because of the fact that several doctors of this stream remain posted in main hospitals of Jammu particularly Government Medical College and SMGS Hospitals during the past several years by using the political clout.
According to the data managed by EXCELSIOR from the District Hospitals of Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar, large number of posts of specialist doctors besides those of Medical Officers are lying vacant during the past quite long time and no serious attention has been paid towards filling up the same for the betterment of the people of these mountainous and tough terrain districts.
In District Hospital Ramban, the posts of Pediatrician, Surgeon, Radiologist and Ophthalmologist besides several Medical Officers are presently lying vacant as the concerned authorities are only making tall claims about improving healthcare facilities instead of deeply analyzing the prevailing situation.
According to the sources, a Gynecologist was posted in this hospital in the past after this post remained vacant for quite long time but the doctor managed the transfer as a result of which post again fell vacant. However, on the repeated requests of the authorities of District Hospital Ramban, an order was issued yesterday for deployment of another Gynecologist.
What to talk of manpower, even CT Scan machine is lying un-used in the hospital during the past several months. This machine was provided to the District Hospital in the month of June last year that too after EXCELSIOR in its edition dated June 17, 2014 highlighted the issue. “The installation of CT Scan was started in the month of December 2014 but the same has not been completed till date as a result of which no benefit could be obtained till date”, sources regretted.
“Even if the CT-Scan machine is installed within next some months, the same would not be of any use as Radiologist has not been posted in the hospital till date”, they said, adding the inordinate delay in providing CT Scan facility in Ramban District Hospital is notwithstanding the fact that this health institution is not only catering to the population of Ramban district but also providing medicare to the victims of the accidents on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway from Patnitop onwards up to Jawahar Tunnel.
Similar is the situation of District Hospital Doda, where posts of Radiologist, Junior Anesthesiologist, Junior Orthopedician and Pathologist are lying vacant during the past quite long time. As against sanctioned posts of 26 Medical Officers, presently there are only 8 Medical Officers in this hospital.
“Though CT Scan in this hospital is functional but the reporting of scans is being made by a Physician in the absence of Radiologist”, sources said, adding “in the absence of Radiologist, no ultra-sound facility is provided in this hospital and patients are asked to get the same conducted either in Kishtwar district or in Jammu”. According to the sources, the posts of Specialists are lying vacant in this District Hospital during the past one and half years.
They disclosed that several posts of Specialists have also been lying vacant in District Hospital Kishtwar mainly because those who were posted there didn’t join during the past several months. Two Gynecologists, one Senior Consultant Orthopaedician, one Medical Officer, one ENT Specialist and one Anaesthesiologist were posted in this District Hospital vide different orders in the months of March and April but till date they have not joined as by using political clout they managed postings at other places.
“From the prevailing situation in District Hospitals of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, it can be easily judged as what could be the state of affairs in hospitals in other districts of the State particularly those having tough terrain”, sources said.
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