MUHAMMAD MUKARAM
SRINAGAR: Discrepancies galore in the State’s National Health Mission (NHM) as the doctors serving in far flung areas are deprived of the genuine allowances and those working within two kilometers radius of district hospitals are enjoying the perks and privileges under ministers’ patronage. Irony is that this all is happening under the nose of Directorate of NHM which just passes the buck.
Sources disclosed to STATE TIMES that despite State government’s guidelines that the doctors falling under the department of National Health Mission (NHM), working at far flung areas or rural areas will get extra benefit of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 excluding the monthly salary, no such extra incentive is being extended to this lot.
It has been also set in the guidelines that doctors posted at difficult areas during winter session or 10 to 20 kms away from district headquarter will also get benefit of extra incentives of Rs 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 but those posted within the radius of just 2 to 5 kms from district headquarters are getting incentives due to political influence.
Ironically, for last 9 years, it has become routine in the NHM department that people having good political affiliation are taking the advantage and are being attached or deployed at the nearest places of their choices but who (doctors) don’t have any political affiliation are working at same place for years together despite approaching the Directorate of NHM several times.
“I am being posted 20 kms away from district headquarter for last ten years but till now I have not received any single amount of extra incentive which is my right. I do not have any political influence that is the reason I am being sidelined and not me only there are scores of doctors like me in the NHM department,” said doctor who works in NHM at border area, wishing anonymity.
One of the doctors told STATE TIMES that several times a group of deserved doctors approached Directorate office for their grievances but their representations have been thrown into dustbins.
“Two years earlier, we had knocked the door of Health Ministry and Commissioner Secretary’ s office. Then the NHM had issued a letter and constituted the committee in order to revise the list of doctors working at far flung areas for ensuring extra incentives to deserving but nothing has happen till now”, he added.
On 10th October, one order has been issued from the office of Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, to all Chief Medical Officers directing them to submit the list of all doctors including information regarding their present place of posting so that it could be revised but till date that letter is still pending in CMOs’ offices as it will expose non deserving doctors.
The glaring example is of Block Sogam, which remains totally cut off during winter season and 19 PHCs fall under this Block including PHC Lal Pora, PHC Maidanpora, PHC Trehgam, PHC Kralpora, etc but doctors posted at these stations are not deprived of extra incentives but doctors posted at PHC Drugmulla, PHC Gushi and PHC Nagri, which are just 2 Kms away from district headquarter are enjoying these incentives.
However, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Dr Mohan Singh, while talking to STATE TIMES admitted the fact that some deserving doctors are not getting the extra incentives but the decision was taken before my joining.
“The decision on giving incentives in some institutions and denying others was taken four years back by a committee constituted by Director NHM and the present status of giving such incentives is based on the recommendations of the aforesaid committee,” Singh said.
He blamed former Mission Director NHM for this mess. “Recently, I have received the representations from some doctors that we are deserving doctors and we should get these incentives which we are not getting. I have constituted the committee compromising representatives of Health, Finance, and NHM. Let that report come, then accordingly I will submit that report before government of India for further release of funds,” he added.