J&K Govt’s novel way of fighting COVID
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 23: As the Health sector across the world is under tremendous stress due to COVID-19 pandemic with the world facing severe shortage of critical care specialists, the Government in Jammu and Kashmir is utilising the services of these specialists for administrative posts at the cost of lives of lakhs of people.
These critical care specialists are being posted as Medical Superintendents, Nodal Officers and on other administrative posts by the Government risking the lives of hundreds of COVID-19 patients who are critically ill.
Several anaesthetists, physicians, child specialists and other specialists whose services are needed in ICUs and at other places in the hospitals to deal with critically ill COVID-19 patients have been posted at administrative posts.
Seven senior anaesthetists whose services are needed in the ICUs for intubating the patients and helping junior doctors in patient care have been posted on various administrative posts. Anaesthetists Dr Abdul Rashid Para was recently posted as Medical Superintendent DRDO hospital Khonmoh, Dr Khalid Feroz is RMO SMHS hospital Srinagar, Dr Iqbal Fateh has been made Nodal Officer CHC Chanpora Srinagar, Dr Manzoor has been made Nodal Officer Oxygen Kashmir, Dr Mohammad Yusuf Tak Nodal Officer District Hospital Pulwama, Dr Shabir Sidique is MS Lal Ded Memorial hospital Srinagar and Dr Mushtaq Nodal Officer GMC.
Dr Mohammad Yusuf Tak, Consultant Anaesthesia, was made Nodal Officer in a private Nursing Home, Mohammadia Nursing Home, in addition to his own duties at ICU COVID Hospital Pulwama by Deputy Commissioner Pulwama on May 20, 2021.
“The job of anaesthetist is a specialised one and his services are needed round the clock in the ICUs where patients are battling for life but he has been given an additional job at a hospital which is several kilometers away from the SDH Pulwama. The Nodal Officer job could have been assigned to any other doctor”, said an official.
Dr Abdul Rashid Para, Consultant Anaesthesia, was posted as Incharge Medical Superintendent in the 500 bedded temporary COVID-19 hospital in Srinagar. The order was issued by Financial Commissioner H&ME Dept on May 20, 2021.
A senior official said that these and other specialists have been posted on administrative posts despite Advisor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar clearly directing against posting of specialists on administrative posts. “Some top officials in the Government are more concerned about the career of these doctors rather than fighting COVID-19”, he said.
He said that these senior doctors who are specialists in their own fields are needed for helping to fight COVID-19 and helping the junior doctors with their expertise.
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