Requirement of regular specialists and proper management
|| SAJAD GUL
Established in 1991 as a Community Health Centre with a broader aim to serve health problems of sonawari belt, the functioning of now Community Health Center Sumbal has come into news due to its prevailing of VIP culture. Government CHC Sumbal has come under a cloud many a time over the years for its failure to serve the patients properly. And now with the debate of about 15 specialists who remains absent at often times due to which a countless number of patients suffer silently and die in utter health care problems, The CHC Sumbal which should have been a beacon of assistance to patients , has miserably failed to deliver and has prevailed a VIP Culture inside the hospital premises.
On Saturday Rising Kashmir Reporter talked with the patients and they narrate the woeful narration which they face in the hospital in absence of General/Specialists. Sources said two Doctors Namely Dr.Hayat and Dr.Ishtiyaq as Assistant Surgeons they visit occasionally to concerned hospital and are exempted from night duties- Grade specialist Doctors viz. Dr.Muzaffar Ahmad, Dr.Suhail Ahmad and Dr.Gulshana are not residing at Residential Doctor Quarters which have been constructed 04 years back at Sumbal hospital during night hours. And also Night duty has been shifted to 2nd floor instead of 1st floor as the first floor is occupied by administrative block and hospital store due to which patients are being suffered on lifting to second floor for prescription by carrying them on the shoulders instead on lifting equipment’s or improper designment of the stairs.
Due to absence of specialist doctors, patients from Sumbal Sonawari and its adjacent villages are facing immense hardships. The patients are forced to move to city hospitals for treatment.
According to sources, these VIP doctors are even exempted from night duties by the higher ups of the department and they are also permitted to leave the station during night hours and post operated patients are left at the mercy of “God” as these doctors of the said Hospital are also exempted from night duties by the higher ups of the department as naming their special status in the department and are engaged rest of the week to do surgeries at different Private Nursing homes in the valley sources said.
This is how the State exchequer is ruined by the higher ups of the Health Department by providing special relaxations to the VIP Class of these doctors of CHC Hospital Sumbal which generate corruption and a Bad Slogan Health for All at the mercy of “God” and not on the pre-existing manpower of the Health Department they said. Last time, I visited this hospital with my mother and unfortunately couldn’t find any specialist doctor here despite many specialist doctors have been posted by the government.
What is the fun of being here for few hours when you have to be ready 24*7? Actually these doctors earn at private clinics and let their patients die at government hospitals, said Bilal Ahmad Parrey, a resident of Sumbal. Bilal argues that despite drawing a handsome salary of more than one lakh rupees a month, from Health Department, these doctors seldom visit this hospital thereby defaming this pious profession adding, this is loss to state exchequer as they receive salaries without any duty. However, rests of the days they earn at Private Nursing Homes, while as the patients suffer. Inhabitants of Sumbal, Nesbal, Wangipora, shilvath, Asham, Markundal, Naidkhai and other adjacent villages, where locals allege that out of 15 doctors posted only few visits the hospital on a daily basis, and manifold problems are being faced by the poor patients.
Residents of these villages blame authorities of negligence and favoritism. Meanwhile, a senior doctor of the CHC Sumbal said this VIP culture has been here since long and nobody bothered to inquire about it, they must be punished severely, he adds.
It is pertinent to mention here that this VIP Class of Doctors of CHC Sumbal are drawing handsome salary of more than Rupees one lakh [Rs 1, 00,000] per month from the Health Department and have not been transferred since from 15 years. Due to absence of specialist doctors, patients from Sumbal Sonawari and its adjacent villages are facing immense hardships. The patients are forced to move to city hospitals for treatment. Residents of these villages blame authorities of negligence and favoritism.
Meanwhile, a senior doctor of the CHC Sumbal said this VIP culture has been here since long and nobody bothered to inquire about it, they must be punished severely, he adds. Moreover sources said that the hospital should get reconstructed under new hospitable designment because the hospital lacks decent designment such as internal compartmentalization, Proper ventilated rooms with exhausters, and quarters especially nursing quarters. It needs a renovation but failed to do so because of inefficient administrators locals said.
Surgery is being done here to some extent but other things such as blood bank is totally absent here, said a doctor wishing anonymity.
The residents claim that few specialist doctors who enjoy favoritism from higher ups are treated as VIP’s and are seldom found at the hospital. Irony, surgery is being done here to some extent but other things such as blood bank is totally absent here said a doctor wishing anonymity. Patients, such as Asthma, Allergic are prone to these poplars infection by which there symptoms are being enhanced also due to the poplars cause the surged patients also suffer under undo cough by which there surged body part gets lot of pain, showed concern over the presence of Russian poplar trees planted on the premises of CHC hospital here despite High Court ban and nobody bothers to cut them locals said, who they say is a major concern in CHC hospital here, these all Russian poplar must be cutted down as soon as possible they added but locals say government is overlooking the matter and establishment of such a prestigious have not proved fruitful.
The governments showing little interest but locals continue to express concern over the presence of Russian poplar trees. Talking to this newspaper, Chief Medical Officer [CMO] Bandipora Dr.Bashir Ahmad Malik denied having any VIP culture of doctors in Community Health Center Sumbal when asked that some doctors aren’t residing at Residential Doctors Quarters at Sumbal hospital during night hours he said when we don’t have Residential Quarters for doctors how can a doctor stay there for night if so, then he has to arrange and sit in patients room for a night he said and as for as Russian Poplar trees are concerned it is the work of higher authorities and we can’t cut them it needs higher permission. I will still look into the matter and I will definitely help them if I find anything wrong, he added.