PP NEWS LINE DESK
\nJ&K Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Itoo, on Tuesday issued a stern warning to doctors found neglecting their hospital duties to attend private clinics, saying strict action would follow any such dereliction.<\/p>\n
During a surprise visit to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Pattan, the Minister found that only two of the twelve posted doctors were present on duty. Calling it an unacceptable situation, she said the hospital\u2019s duty roster system reflected a \u201cdecades-old nexus\u201d and needed an immediate overhaul.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany doctors have been posted at the same hospital for over 15 years. They run private clinics nearby and often skip hospital duties. This is unacceptable,\u201d Itoo said.<\/p>\n
Criticising what she called the \u201cirrational roster system,\u201d the Minister questioned why ten doctors were on rest while only two handled patient care.
\n\u201cWhy should only two doctors cater to the people when twelve are posted there?\u201d she asked, adding that healthcare in Kashmir suffered more due to mismanagement than a shortage of staff.<\/p>\n
Itoo said she had already directed the Health and Medical Education Department to review and rationalise duty rosters across hospitals.
\n\u201cEvery hospital administration must ensure that doctors, including senior ones, are present at all times,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The Minister observed that one major reason for frequent referrals from rural hospitals to tertiary care centres was the absence of doctors\u2014especially senior staff\u2014during night hours.
\n\u201cDoctors often leave hospitals to juniors or students while attending their private practice,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n
Assuring corrective action, Itoo said ensuring the 24\u00d77 presence of sufficient and senior medical staff would be her top priority.
\n\u201cI will conduct more surprise visits, especially at night, to check the functioning of hospitals,\u201d she said, urging the public to report absenteeism.<\/p>\n
\u201cHealthcare is the right of the people, and any compromise in its delivery will not be tolerated,\u201d the Minister asserted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PP NEWS LINE DESK J&K Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Itoo, on Tuesday issued a stern warning to doctors found neglecting their hospital duties to attend private clinics, saying strict action would follow any such dereliction. During a surprise visit to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Pattan, the Minister found that only two of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[235],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jammu-and-kashmir"],"yoast_head":"\n