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| Health department contemplating to wind up 'evening clinics' soon | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 23: If things remain on track the state Health Department is contemplating to wind up evening clinics, also known as Urban Health Centres (UHCs) across the state but have turned into havens for the influential medicos who enjoy these privileged posting covered under the main hospitals.
Almost all the centres opened with much fanfare have become defunct in the state in urban centres. According to a fresh draft of the proposal the health minister is keen to restart such centre in rural areas to boost health care services in the state.
However a powerful lobby of doctors who are enjoying plump postings in these centres are doing their best to scuttle the move. According to official sources most of these clinics had become a happy hunting ground for the blue-eyed of ministers and bureaucrats and had no utility in the urban areas. There are over 1,000 such clinics across the state. In Jammu district alone, at least 16 such clinics having over 100 doctors and para-medics are currently in operation. A source in the Health Department said while the medical staff posted in these centres drew huge monthly salaries and other benefits, the primary health centres (PHCs) and sub-centres in the rural areas remained without doctors and para-medical staff. Under the rules, each evening clinic should have two doctors, a pharmacist and a nurse, but contrary to this almost all centres had excess staff.
Officials said most of them had outlived their utility and even the government had announced in the Legislative Assembly that these clinics would be re-organised.
These clinics where established in 1986, when the then Governor, Jag mohan, after ordered a ban on private practice by medical professionals. "Most doctors seldom visit these centres and are engaged in private practice. The Health Department has been directed by the government to study ways to streamline these centres or close down those that are defunct," said a health officer. In 2008, over 400 new health centres were opened in the state without seeking the approval for requisite staff. Most of these were currently non-functional. Minister for Health Sham Lal Sharma said they had started the process of rationalizing such centres.
The centres that had lost their utility would be closed down. However it remains to be seen whether the health minister would be able to deliver on his assurances or not in the days to come. |
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