MOHAMMAD SARFARAZ
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Nov 23: Despite circulars in place, there are scores of doctors who have remained posted for years together in many hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir and they have never been transferred from one place to another, due to best reasons known to the higher authorities.
According to sources, the transfer policy of the health department clearly states that a doctor should have a minimum tenure of 2-3 years at a certain place, but it seems that the circulars have been put on shelves.
“In many parts of the valley including from north to south Kashmir scores of doctors have been overstaying for over ten years now, and they are enjoying their plum postings”, sources informed Early Times.
They said we do understand that due to Covid-19, it was not possible, but it is not difficult to transfer them, however they can perform anywhere, but no that didn’t happen due to some influences.
Irony of the fact is that, some doctors were first appointed in their parent hospital, but since then they were not transferred there from past 10-15 years and were posted in their home districts, sources aggrieved.
Sources also said that some doctors were deliberately transferred from the hilly areas and they are enjoying their luxurious life in the city hospitals, while the patient suffers like anything, but the government is least bothered about such issues.
Government has not been giving due attention towards these problems, otherwise there are still many far flung areas, where doctors either visit after several days if they never visit there, said sources.
“We have been performing our duty in some hilly areas for the past five years and many times we approached the directorate office, but deaf ears were given to our problems, and instead of solving our problems we were transferred to another far flung area”, said sources.
Sources further said the transfer of the doctors takes place from the directorate while the orders for transfer of consultants and other officials come from the secretariat. Now if the doctors get transferred, they get revocation orders within no time, which we feel is injustice with other doctors.
Tenure of stay for a doctor was 2-3 years, but there are doctors who are constantly posted at one place for decades and the policy remains on papers only, with the result the patient suffers at the end of the day.
In other parts of the country there is a rule which is being considered as mandatory for a doctor to remain posted at a hospital for only two years, and the same thing should have happened in our UT, but that process cannot happen due to influence and other factors, sources added. |
