Call for qualified leadership in Health Services Jammu
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Department of Health and Medical Education in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, supervised by a single Administrative Secretary and Minister, plays a crucial role in delivering healthcare services. A key position within the department is that of the Director of Health Services (DHS) Jammu, responsible for administering and overseeing healthcare institutions. Experts emphasize that the appointment to this role must prioritize merit, experience, and relevant qualifications to ensure effective patient care.
Healthcare professionals assert that the DHS position should be filled by doctors holding a degree in Hospital Administration, coupled with extensive experience in managing health institutions as Hospital Administrators or Medical Superintendents. Appointing unqualified individuals without requisite experience to this critical post could compromise healthcare services for the public, particularly for underprivileged communities.
Concerns have been raised on social media regarding an apparent restriction on qualified and senior doctors from the Medical Education Department serving in Health Services Jammu. Notably, while many medical officers from Health Services Jammu continue to hold key positions within the Medical Education Department-such as Medical Superintendent posts at Government Medical College Hospital, Bone & Joint Hospital, State Cancer Institute, and various new medical colleges-similar opportunities in Health Department are seemingly being denied to experienced professionals from Medical Education.
Historically, deserving doctors from Medical Education have successfully served as Director Health Services Jammu, delivering exemplary healthcare services. Notable examples include Dr. Ved Gupta, Dr. Jasbir Singh, Dr. Mushtaq Rather, and Dr. Rakesh Khajuria, who effectively led the department and improved patient care standards.
It is also to mention that in the past couple of years the post of Director Health Services Jammu has been filled on adhoc basis and the incumbent officers served for a short tenure. Many experts say that as the post of Director Health Services Jammu is going to vacate, it is expected that the Government will take a decision in the interest of patient care and appoint a deserving, qualified and experienced Doctor from Health & Medical Education Department, who must have desirable tenure to serve, ignoring the misleading information that the Doctors from Medical Education cannot serve in Health Services inspite of his seniority, qualification and relevant experience.