Ban on Doctors practice and Need: Ailing people looks for middle path

Tahir Mushtaq


JAMMU, Dec 2: As the Hon'ble High Court has banned the private practice of the doctors in Jammu and Kashmir, the people desirous of taking private treatment from the Government doctors are facing hardships. The quality of service doctors provide to the patients during private practice is quite better than that being provided by them during the service hours at Government hospitals. Owing to this, the people are forced to catch up the doctors in their houses. 


It is an open fact that government run health institutions have failed to deliver the goods to the ailing people.Coupled with the manpower shortage and lack of facilities, for most of the people, private clinics was the last destination for them to seek medical advise. Now, that door has been closed and the people are forced to stand in queues. 


The situation is more dismal in rural areas where the health centres running under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) do not have availability of equipments and other required infrastructure, besides, the staff appointed is also not adequate. Wishing anonymity a doctor posted in a Primary Health Centre (PHC) said that the government has provided us short infrastructure and staff is also less; we have to manage all patients within this condition. Showing helplessness she said many times we have sent demands for medicine and staff but nothing has been done so far. 


“This is just a showcase, but actually the condition of hospitals in the state is very grave. ”, said a senior doctor. Visiting any of the hospitals in the state, it can been seen that wards are overcrowded and when the doctors refuse admission to patients, they have no choice but to get admitted in private hospitals. 


“On an average 500 patients attend the different Out Patient Departments (OPDs). As per official records, the hospital also receives 80-100 indoor patients on daily basis”, said a source. 


Talking about the SMGS hospital, a senior government official said that government had a proposal to convert the hospital into the exclusive mother and child care hospital, by shifting both the dermatology and ENT departments from here to the Government Medical College (GMC), but they have no resources to implement it. 


The hospital is specialized in pediatrics and gynecology besides skin diseases. If sources were believed in this 550 bedded hospital there are about 800 to 1000 patients are admitted in the hospital on an average. And two patients were forced to accommodate in one bed. “At various instances the patients’ complaints that they are not getting proper treatment as required, but we are unable to give satisfactory treatment with proper concentration though the infrastructure is also not suitable” said a PG doctor. 


Though State government is claiming bringing unprecedented reforms in the health sector, dismal health scenario in the government sector has not changed much. On an average 3,097 persons depended upon one health institution in the state as against 2,662 in 2000-01. 


A paramedic also expressed that their strength was not sufficient which puts additional burden on the existing paramedics. She questioned, “The government is not been able to provide adequate staff and equipment in GMCH then why Super Specialty Hospital is being build. Instead of constructing buildings the focus must be on strengthening the existing health care system.”