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| Ban on private practice of doctors, many a slip between cup and lip | | Hukum-I-Nawab Taa Dhar Nawab | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 7: The state government especially Heath Minister, Chaudhary Lal Singh has been vocal in saying that doctors working in the tertiary and specialty hospitals would be barred from doing private practice, but on ground situation is quite different.
Most of the doctors of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura are carrying out practice at their homes without any fear whatsoever. These doctors have over the past few months have developed the tricks by virtue of which they can easily escape the wrath if they fall in the trap at any point of time.
"A prominent doctor running his private clinic in the Peer Bagh area keeps the patients waiting on the main road. The patients have to brave the vagaries of weather while visiting this doctor. There is no place where patients can relax before they get their turn to receive consultation from the doctor," said Mohammad Altaf, a city resident. It has been observed that majority of the doctors of SKIMS who carry out private practice keep their clinic timings very secret. The clinic timings are spread through word of mouth and there is nothing written about it. The hapless patients are desperate enough and at times they have to wait for hours together in order to get appointment with a doctor.
"Most of the doctors have prescriptions where there is no mention of their name. These doctors use slip pads as and when they have to prescribe some medicines or investigations to a patient. They know that they can't be trapped once they are using the slip pads and as such they are making merry," said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a resident of Budgam.
Pertinently, chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed immediately after taking over convened a meeting and issued directions to Director SKIMS, Soura to ensure that doctors of the institute don't carry out private practice. Mufti said that since doctors are paid Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) they should not carry out private practice at the clinics.
"The government tried its best to send out a strong message to the doctors, but on ground the message has failed to achieve desired results. The people at helm should act sternly against some doctors so that the directives are implemented in letter and spirit. Otherwise, the directives would remain confined within the four walls with no result on the ground," said Mohammad Akbar, a resident of Rawalpora.
It would be in place to mention here that most of the people who visit the doctors in the government sector allege that they are not given a fair treatment there. The people then have to visit the doctors at their clinics in order to get better treatment. At the clinics the doctors make merry with the patients being at the receiving end.
"The doctors go for tie-ups with the clinical laboratories, X-Ray unit holders and people associated with allied activities. They ask the patients to go to designated places for carrying out various tests and investigations. The patients are left with no choice but to visit the designated places since their denial would land them in trouble," said Imran Rasool, a resident of Bandipora. |
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