People being looted, misdoings go unchecked
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Aug 10: Though minimal in its footfall, the private health care sector operating in Kashmir is highly unregulated with the management of these healthcare facilities resorting to highhandedness in the absence of any norms from the Government.
Starting with the consultation fee of the doctors, who are practising in the private sector, the people who visit these doctors are made to pay heavily in terms of the consultation fee apart from the medicines that are prescribed.
It is to be noted here that the consultation fee of local doctors in the private sector is considerably low in comparison to the doctors who visit Kashmir from the rest of the states to offer consolations to the patients.
“I recently visited a doctor in Srinagar and was made to pay Rs 500 and initially they told me that the fee is valid for 2 visits, but on the second visit 7 days later, I was once again asked to pay the fee,” a patient said.
On the other hand, the doctors who are exclusively brought here by the private clinics or the hospitals, it appears are out on open loot.
These doctors in Kashmir charge over Rs 1000 per visit and at times, despite the consultation carried out here, ask the patients to travel to other states and seek consultations from them there for effective treatment.
“I was visiting a doctor here at a private clinic and used to pay him around Rs 300 per visit, but then, a few months later, I was told that a senior doctor is coming to Srinagar from Delhi and it was suggested that I seek a consultation from him and for which I paid over Rs 1000,” said another patient suffering from a gastrointestinal ailment.
It is to be noted here that in the absence of norms and regulations from the Government, the private players in the healthcare sector are being given a free hand.
Further, the functioning of the hospitals in the private sector is also under question as there have been several alleged cases of medical negligence which have been reported from various private hospitals operating in Srinagar. However, almost all such cases have gone unchecked and there has not been even a single case where the action was initiated.
Recently, one such case was reported wherein a lady’s uterus was “mistakenly” removed at a private hospital, however, even as the incident was reported, the health authorities did not initiate any such action and waited for the aggrieved family to first file a complaint.
Even before that, another case of gross medical negligence was also reported from a private hospital in the city. While the then Director of Health Services took note of the matter and initiated action—the inquiry report and the action taken, if any, was never made public.
While the Director Health Services, Kashmir Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather did not respond to the specific queries raised by Excelsior, those privy to the working of the healthcare facilities in the private sector said that the Government has been giving little attention towards regulating the functioning of the sector with the result the commoners have been left with nowhere to go.
“It is because the Government healthcare system is robust and has a vast presence and the majority of people are thronging there for the treatment and that has led to the gross irregularities in the absence of specific Govt norms,” an official said.
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