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| PC pats J&K Health Minister but criticizes health scenario; alleges nexus between docs, higher officials | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Oct 15: Infrastructure and human resource in hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir is inadequate and unable to cater to the increasing rush of patients.
Owing to this, Operation theaters are underutilized in District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs). Preference to private practice being given by doctors and even Para-medical staff has resulted in patients from rich class to poor being forced to approach private health care centers. These centers are run essentially by affluent surgeons and gynecologists.
State has taken some progressive steps towards ensuring accountability of doctors and putting a control on the illegal private practice but some unholy nexus is preventing the situation from improving at the pace at which it should have improved. Planning Commission of India has made these remarks in an evaluation survey conducted on the health care scenario in Jammu and Kashmir. A copy of the survey is with Early Times.
The survey has praised Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma for making exhaustive efforts to improve the situation but has not hesitated in saying that a holy nexus between the high profile doctors, surgeons and gynecologists with higher Government officials has been hampering good work being done by Health Ministry of Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from these significant remarks, the survey pointed towards scarcity of anesthetists and ill functioning blood storage banks including the one in SMGS Hospital Shalimar.
This scarcity of anesthetists and ill functioning blood storage banks is mainly responsible of underutilization of operation theatres, lack of emergency care in District Hospitals (DHs), Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs). The survey has made it clear that emergency obstetric care, caesarean and other surgical intervention services are available in only two Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Jammu district.
Women patients are forced to approach nearest possible private healthcare centers, says the survey. What has made the situation grim is the inability of Government hospitals and other health care centers to increase infrastructure and human resource at par with the increase in the number of patients visiting these Government institutions.
Emergency transport facility is not in good condition as the availability of it has been reported with 55 percent primary health centers. Non-availability of transport facility puts extra-ordinary stress on the family which has to shift an expecting female patient in emergency situation to a gynaecologist. This stress makes the situation depressing and increases the probability of caesarean and other surgical interventions.
In certain cases, even deaths are reported due to late arrival of the pregnant lady at the district hospital or to the two Government Medical College Hospitals (GMCHs). Non-availability of key specialists and doctors like obstetrician/gynaecologist in rural districts of Jammu and Kashmir is more because of the preference given by MBBS and higher qualified doctors to cities where they work in private hospitals and earn heftily.
The survey has said that State Government did make efforts to bring a change in this unfortunate trend but could not succeed much. It has said that health care can improve considerably if the official interference stops at the higher level especially with regard to transfer and posting of doctors, surgeons and physicians. Out of the total interviewed health care officials, only 3 percent were residing in the serving villages, whereas the criterion of selection was to belong to the serving village. |
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