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| Private practice by SKIMS doctors | | CM warns medicos on Dec 5, takes no action | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 4: Come December 5 and the Chief Minister warns the doctors at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKI-MS) against indulging in private practice. However, trea-ting it as a mere ritual, the doctors have been ignoring the warnings till date. December 5 happens to be the birthday of Sher-e-Kashmir and the SKIMS celebrates it as annual day.
Addressing the 28th Annual Day function of SKIMS Soura at SKICC on Dec 5, 2010 Omar told the doctors: "I know you all; I know your names and the addresses of your clinics. Please, don't force me to issue an advertisement in the newspapers and seize your clinics."
In 2009 also, the Chief Minister had, during his speech at annual day of SKIMS, said: "Please do not in your figment of imagination think that I do not know about SKIMS doctors indulging in private practice. I have the complete information about each doctor."
A senior medico at SKIMS while commenting on the issue said that the CM has failed to take any action against the doctors who are indulging in private practice.
"Besides issuing warnings he (Omar) has taken no action against the culprits. Corruption is rampant in SKIMS and there is administrative anarchy. Indiscipline and lack of accountability has become a hall mark in the SKIMS," he alleged.
"The private practice mafia is so strong in the SKIMS that the CM isn't able to take any action against them. Even incumbent Director Dr Showkat Zargar himself had a flourishing private practice before he took over as Director last year. He had been warned by the SKIMS authorities in 2010 to keep away from private practice," he added.
A few months ago State Human Rights Comm-ission had issued notice to SKIMS authorities for 3500 deaths in 16 months of Dr. Zargar tenure. Prin-cipal Accountant Gen-eral's Audit Team conducted functional audit of SKIMS for six months during 2012 and found many skeletons in the cupboard. "However, no action has been taken against the culprits yet."
"OPD is in a mess, patients have to wait for hours together for their turn. Casualty (emergency) has become a virtual fish market, purchases are made without following codal formalities and esse-ntial drugs are not available in the hospital. It seems there is some invisible force that prevents the CM from taking action"," said a senior consultant.
In clear violation of the J&K government ordinance that bans private practice of the doctors and paramedical staff of the SKIMS, a large number of doctors and paramedics openly run their private clinics in the city.
While most of the doctors are running their private clinics openly, the only fig-leaf they have evolved with to conceal it is that they do not use formal letter-heads printed with their names for it.
While some use the letter-heads showing names of the clinics only, others use plain paper for prescribing treatment to the patients.
And yes, this does not mean that they do not charge people for it. Given the fact that these doctors are 'big names' in their respective disciplines, the fee they charge from patients is indeed comparatively on a higher-side than usual.
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