JAMMU: Showing contempt to orders issued with the approval of Minister for Health and Medical Education with regard to their transfers, nearly 300 doctors, out of 450 transferred, proceeded on leave, thus putting working in many health institutions haywire in the Jammu Province.
“Most of the periphery and rural area hospitals are facing shortage of doctors”, informed a senior functionary of the Health and Medical Education Department, on the condition of anonymity. He told STATE TIMES that non-compliance of orders on such a large scale is unprecedented.
The defiant doctors paid little heed to the diktats of the Health Minister, who had threatened termination for non-compliance.
Since the formation of BJP-PDP Government on March 1, nearly 450 doctors were transferred, most of them posted in the Jammu city health institutions, with a view to break their long stays. But the governmental action boomeranged due to non-compliance of orders. However, those shifted from rural areas to the city hospitals immediately joined, following which the hesitant doctors went on leave.
The development takes place at a time when over 350 posts of doctors are lying vacant in various health institutions, which have been referred for recruitment. Besides, over 250 doctors posted in far flung areas are on study leave. They are undergoing PGs and Registrarships in the GMCs.
The transferred doctors, who are on leave, have therefore rendered many institutions defunct.
Responding to the situation, the Director Health Services, Jammu Dr Baljit Pathania, has written to all the Chief Medical Officers to ascertain about the periods for which the doctors have proceeded on leave.
Following series of complaints from all the districts regarding shortage of doctors in hospitals, the Director Health Services has started preparing a data to ascertain the shortage.
Here it is relevant to mention that most of the doctors who have been posted outside the city or to far flung areas are involved in private practices.
“The government should either ban the practice or terminate such doctors so that unemployed doctors get chance to serve, said Som Nath Dabgotra, RTI activist.
Diretor Health Services said, “We are taking steps to solve this problem”
He said that until the private practice banned, we are evolving a mechanism to stop practice of those who have not complied with the transfer orders.
“I am collecting data to take action against doctors who proceeded on leave after joining. Two hospitals–Akhnoor and Nowshera are affected the most due to this development. Some doctors who have completed their PGs stand relived from GMC. They will be joining in their new places of postings in a day or so”, said Dr Pathania, adding “I have asked all CMOs to provide exact details of each doctor on leave.”
He said the vacant positions are also being filled so that the hospitals have full strength of doctors. “Till the recruitment takes place we are going to appoint doctors on contractual basis,” Dr Pathania added.