| HC’s order of making Gastro dept functional at SSH Jammu ignored | | Kashmir Hospitals has two Gastroenterology depts, none in Jammu | | Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 16: Closed just for the sake of satisfying the political ego of the then Health and Medical Education Minister Bali Bhagat in 2016, the Gastroenterology department at Super Speciality Hospital (SSH) Jammu has not been made functional so far despite Court’s direction, however, the same department in SSH Kashmir has at least 10 faculty members with around 20 endoscopes to take care of public health.
A Division Bench of J&K High Court comprises Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta had directed then Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Department to start the department. “Since this court by an ad interim order dated 07/04/2028 has already directed that the petitioner (Dr Shoket Choudhary) shall be allowed to function as Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology in the Super Speciality Hospital, Jammu , so that the patients can be provided the aforesaid facilities, we deem it appropriate to modify the ad interim order dated 07/04/2018 and to direct that the words “if the same in functional” shall stand deleted, and the appellant shall be allowed to function as Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology in Super Speciality Hospital, Jammu”, the Division Bench said disposing of MP no 2/2018.
The department was created by Health and Medical Education Department on basis of repeated requests made by the then Principal Government Medial College and Hospital Jammu, Dr Shashi Gupta. “The department of Gastroenterology was made functional at SSH Jammu in April 2014, by the then Principal GMC&H Dr Ghanshyam Gupta. At the identical time, same department was established in SSH Srinagar, present the SSH Srinagar has at least 10 faculty members with 20 endoscopes and allied infrastructure and manpower of 100 other staff members, the Department has been imparting DNB Gastro training”, the sources said, adding that apart from SSH Srinagar, the SKIMS Soura has also a Gastroenterology department.
Contrary to this, the lone Gastroenterology department of SSH Jammu, has been snatched from Jammuites forcing them go in private hospitals and or avail the facility in other states.
“As the department has been closed, the machinery worth crores of rupees gathering dust, and at least a staff of around 100 persons has been deployed in other departments. When the department was closed there was OPD with 120-140 patients on daily at SSH Jammu.
Since the department is closed and people who earlier used to go to private hospitals in Jammu and outside it are in trouble because COVID-19 has snatched their opportunities to move to other places for medical help. Thus, it becomes highly important and necessary to restart this department in the public department without any further delay.
It has been learnt that K Vijay Kumar, Advisor to the then Governor J&K State, Satya Pal Malik had also asked the Health and Medical Education to start the department in the interest of Public, but with change of status of J&K, the issue was kept under the carpet.
It is pertinent to mention here that presently, the department Medicine, GMC&H is taking care of patients of Gastroenterology department, which is not sufficient as number of cases go high. Moreover, the services of Dr Shoket Choudhary, Gastrologist has not being utilised, since he was attached in the office of Principal GMC&H by the then Health Minister, Bali Bhagat.
When tried to contact Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo, he did not answer the repeated phone calls and text messages of this scribe.
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