Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 16: To ensure that the patients in rural and remote areas of Kashmir do not suffer in the absence and shortage of doctors, Health Department Kashmir is soon going to detach all the doctors, presently posted in rural areas but serving in hospitals of Srinagar city and other major towns after managing the attachment orders in their favour.
Official sources told Excelsior that there is huge shortfall of doctors in villages and remote areas as those who are appointed there preferred to stay either in Srinagar city or in major towns. The doctors through their political connections managed to keep themselves attached in hospitals located in the city and other towns.
“We have a huge shortfall of doctors in peripheries as large number of doctors recruited for rural areas later managed to get attached,” they said, adding, as a result patients are bound to move from villages to city hospitals for even treatment of minor ailments and due to this trend the city hospitals have also overburdened.
Sources alleged that as patients are not getting attended at peripheral hospitals due to the shortage of doctors, they preferred to move to city hospitals. It is high time that the administration detached doctors and send back them to their respective postings for the benefit of poor patients,” they asserted.
In order to make sure that no patient suffers due to shortage of doctors in villages and referred to city hospitals unnecessarily, Health Department Kashmir is soon going to issue an order asking all the doctors, who are attached in Srinagar and other towns, to go back to their respective postings in remote areas.
“We are working on it and a circular will be issued soon asking all the doctors, who are presently attached at different areas, to report at their respective postings,” said Dr Sameer Mattoo, Director Health, Kashmir when contacted by this correspondent.
When asked about the number of doctors presently attached in hospitals of Srinagar city and other major towns, Dr Mattoo said he didn’t know the exact number but it will be around 50. “We want to ensure that for minor ailments and diagnostic purposes, the patients in remote areas may not have to travel to city and towns, and they get treatment at their nearest hospital.
However, Director Health Jammu, Dr Renu Sharma said that no such order is going to be issued by her office as the number of doctors attached in hospitals of Jammu city and other major towns is less than 10. She said Directorate has attached some doctors for special purposes like dialysis etc in City hospitals and presently they are not thinking of such a move.
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