Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 30: It may sound strange but fact that the lone doctor at sub district hospital (SDH) Kalakote was 'extracting' consultation fee patients that too during duty hours.
Sources in hospital informed Early Times that an ailing person today went to SDH Kalakote for medical checkup, where the doctor on duty charged Rs 100 as consultation fee from him. "Dr Rehman who was available in the hospital asked the patient to come at his official accommodation, when the patient went there, Dr Rehman asked him for fee", they said and added that the patient was not able to pay fee to the doctor.
"Some people who accompanied the patient, questioned doctor's greed and asked him how he could charge fee on duty, but the doctor tried to escape public's question", they said. They further said that it was not first instance when patients were asked to pay fee by doctor during duty time.
Sources said that complete anarchy is prevailing in the hospital. "Four doctors are posted in the hospital, one of them, Dr Javed being close to a politician from Rajouri, is enjoying attachment contrary to government order to cancel all attachments. Another a Physician, is on medical maternity leave, while third one has gone for court attendance", they said.
They said that despite severe shortage of doctors in hospital, neither the BMO Kalakote nor the CMO Rajouri bothered to implement government order regarding cancellation of attachment.
When contacted BMO Kalakote, Dr Shamim Choudhary denied that fee was charged from any patients by the said doctor. However, over the attachment, the BMO said that CMO Rajouri had called the doctor to provide his services at District Rajouri.
Sources contradicting BMO's claimed that the Director Health Services Jammu has repeatedly asked CMO, Rajouri to relieve all the attached officials of the department, but the CMO did not pay any heed. "The CMO and BMO are busy to appease their political masters rather than serving the poor people here", they added. |
