Vinod Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 17: The district Kathua has two ministers one each in Union and state cabinet but none is bothering to provide manpower in district hospital Kathua, wherein the post of radiologist has been lying vacant for the last nearly three months, helping private diagnostic center owners to earn huge money.
Sources in district hospital informed Early Times that a post of Radiologist has been lying vacant since the new Health Minister Bali Bhagat has taken over the charge of department. "On transfer, the radiologist in DH Kathua joined the new place of posting and the post in Kathua fell vacant. After repeated communication by District Hospital authorities, another Radiologist was transferred but she has so far not joined", sources said.
Sources further said that due to vacant post of Radiologist, the private diagnostic center owners have been making huge money as they have been charging many times higher than the amount paid by patients in the district hospital.
A patient Naresh Singh Jasrotia, who visited hospital for routine check-up of his wife said that every time doctor suggested for ultrasound and other check-ups but due to not availability of Radiologist, every time, they had to move private centers, which charged very much higher.
"For ultrasound test, the hospital administration charge Rs. 100 but for the same test the private diagnostic centers charge Rs. 700. Moreover for pregnant ladies, all these tests are free of cost but due to unavailability of Radiologist, the pregnant ladies have to pay huge money in private centers", he said.
He further said that it was not a single case, but it was a saga of so many poor people, who visited daily for routine checkups but have to go in private centers. "Economically rich patients can go to private centers but every patient arrive in hospital is not economically well and cannot afford services of private centers", he said.
Another person, Ram Lal said that he was suffering from pain in lower abdomen and doctors recommended for ultra-sound and due to funds' constraints, he used to visit other government hospitals of other districts for tests.
Medical Superintendent of District hospital Kathua said that the post of Radiologist was laying vacant for the last one month for which he had written a letter to Director Health, after which a lady doctor was posted, but she has so far not joined. |
