| Shortage of doctors, Pharmacists paralyses ISM dispensaries' in Kathua | | 16 posts of Doctors, 13 Pharmacists posts lying vacant | | Bijay Charak
JAMMU, Oct 25: Even as scores of Ayurvedic doctors, (Indian System of Medicines) are running from pillar to post to get Government jobs, at least 16 posts of doctors and 13 posts of pharmacists are lying vacant in various ISM dispensaries across state for several years.
One such example is district Kathua, where out of 45 ISM dispensaries, 16 are running without doctors, in absence of whom, the pharmacists are managing all the chores.
Surprisingly, Director ISM Abdul Kabir Dar was found total unaware of the problem and said that he would enquire from the concerned district officer. "As per my knowledge, staff is available as per sanctioned strength", he said.
According to norms, the sanctioned strength of doctor and pharmacist in each ISM dispensary is one each and if goes by this analogy, there should be 45 doctors and 45 pharmacists to run the dispensaries in district Kathua.
According to sources, out of 45 sanctioned posts of ISM doctors in district Kathua, 16 area lying vacant for the last many years, which are now run by pharmacists.
Moreover, out of 45 sanctioned strength of pharmacists, only 32 are in place, while 13 posts are falling vacant for the last many years.
Sources in the department informed that during the last many years, many ISM doctors had attained retirement but no new doctor has been recruited by the authorities. "It is still unknown that whether the Director has sent the communication to Government or not for the advertisement of posts, so that doctors would be provided in all the ISM dispensaries", sources said.
They further informed that ISM dispensaries were very useful in far flung areas and also in villages. "ISM dispensaries are the backbone of medical system in our country and with the penetration of allopathic medicines, with the each passing year the Government attention towards the sector is diminishing", sources said.
"It is the responsibility of Director to take up the matter with the Government. Already the interest of youth towards ISM is decreasing and if there will be employment avenues in the sector, the interest of youth will also increase and the village folk will be benefited to great extent as the ISM system is very cheap and people get medicines free of cost", sources said. |
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