VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Jammu is witnessing alarming growth of OPD Cenrtres of premier hospitals of the country, raising doubts in the public mind. Each lane in the posh city areas can be seen bedecked with huge hoardings of one or the other Delhi based hospitals.
As a consequence of the opening of such centres, many residential houses have been converted into the OPD centers, just to lure the patients and motivate them to go to Delhi for surgeries and other treatments. All this is being done without any permission.
Admitting that the OPDs running in private buildings is illegal, Dr Baljeet Pathania, Director, Health Services said, “We are soon making a policy to tackle these Centres.”
He said action will be taken against all those running these centres in private buildings in posh localities of Jammu, Dr Pathania said.
These Delhi based hospitals have tied up with some local nursing homes to run their OPDs.
Residents of Trikuta Nagar have lodged a complaint against one of such OPD Centre, opened near the Police Station. This building is kept only for OPD and patients are examined at non-registered offices. The locals protested against traffic hazards and the matter was resolved by the police. However, nobody bothered about authenticity of these Centres.
The banners outside these Centres carry names of reputed doctors with their degrees to lay a mark on visiting patients. Even radio advertisements have also gained momentum.
Basically, lack of infrastructure at GMC Jammu and other periphery hospitals leave patients vulnerable and expose them to private clinics, which have taken menacing proportions with Delhi based hospitals making their openings in the Temple City.
The OPD centers lure patients and bargain with them regarding the cost of treatment and surgeries outside the state. Already existing private nursing homes in Jammu san facilities like waste management, adequate space, hygiene, doctors and para-medical staff.
In J&K, over ninety per cent nursing homes do not meet the required criteria. When contacted, Health Minister Bali Bhagat said, ” We will crack down on all such illegal OPD Centres run by private Delhi based hospitals.”
“We will look into all the nursing homes in Jammu and Kashmir, which do not fulfill the required norms and facilities,” Bali Bhagat said, adding “Notices have been already served to them,” Bali said.
It has been learnt that many of such OPD centres running in Jammu also sell medicines. The Department of Drugs and Food Control which is unable to check the sale of spurious and outdated medicines in the open market in Jammu, also keeps a blind eye on the sale of medicines in these health trap centres, for obvious reasons.
“The connivance of the Drugs Control Organization with unscrupulous elements has turned out as virtual license for all those indulging in supply and sale of spurious medicines which had plunged Jammu and Kashmir into crisis like situation last year,” said a reputed Pharma distributor on condition of anonymity.
