*MoRTH sanctioned ambulances yet to reach J&K
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 28: Contrary to the lofty slogans of Government about strengthening health sector, the ground situation continues to remain dismal with huge number of health institutions particularly in the rural and far-off areas of the State reeling under shortage of acute manpower. The situation is worst in almost all the Accidental Hospitals thereby defeating the objective behind their creation.
Ever since the formulation of PDP-BJP Coalition Government, frequent statements are being made about flagging health as priority sector and initiating adequate steps to strengthen the health institutions in terms of manpower particularly in the remote and far-off areas of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the improvement is only confined to the official handouts.
This can be gauged from the ground situation which clearly indicates that not only Government Medical Colleges and their Associated Hospitals even the health institutions in peripheral areas of the State have remained victim of official apathy and adequate manpower has remained a dream till date, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Quoting some instances, they said, “almost all the Accidental Hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir, which should have received top most priority, have been reeling under acute shortage of doctors and supporting staff”, adding “this is notwithstanding the fact that this issue figured in the Road Safety Council meetings chaired by the Chief Secretary B R Sharma a number of times and directions were passed for making available sufficient manpower so as to meet the objective behind their creation”.
In Jammu province, the Accidental Hospitals are situated at Batote, Vijaypur, Ghagwal, Chowki Chowra and Khellani and all are facing dearth of doctors and other staff. “The intensity of non-seriousness towards the Accidental Hospitals can be gauged from the fact that there is no sanctioned post of doctor in Accidental Hospital Khellani, which is considered as one of the accident prone areas in Doda district”, sources pointed out.
In the absence of sanctioned post of doctor for this Accidental Hospital one MBBS Medical Officer has been deployed for duties by making internal arrangements, sources said while disclosing that Accidental Hospital at Khellani was established in order to provide immediate treatment facilities to the victims of tragedies on roads.
“Though other Accidental Hospitals have sanctioned posts of doctors and supporting staff but maximum posts have remained vacant during the past quite long time”, they said, adding “there are hundreds of PHCs, CHCs and other health institutions where full manpower was never provided despite tall claims of successive Governments including the present dispensation”.
They disclosed that on the directions of the Administrative Department, a proposal for creation of posts of Specialists/Doctors/Paramedical staff was prepared in both the provinces long time back but this exercise could not reach the logical conclusion till date.
Whenever the issue of shortage of manpower is raised in different official forums, the standard reply of the Health Department functionaries remains: “No doubt there is dearth of manpower and all the vacant posts have been referred to the concerned recruiting agencies for making suitable selections. As and when the selections are made, the vacant posts will be filled accordingly”.
Sources informed that Directorate of Health Services Jammu had recommended creation of 112 posts to the Administrative Department for approval but the same was found on the higher side and accordingly directions were issued for projecting bare minimum requirement in a phased manner. Thereafter, nothing was heard about approval to creation of posts and subsequent referral of the same to the recruiting agencies.
About making available ambulances in the remote and far-off areas of the State, sources said that Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways early this year had sanctioned 136 ambulances for Jammu and Kashmir and accordingly procurement process was initiated. However, not even one consignment has been received till date.
Stating that there were grim chances of J&K Government deploying these ambulances for the intended purpose during the current year, sources said, “following delivery of vehicles by the selected company, the Health Department would have to ensure fitting of vital equipments through J&K Medical Supplies Corporation, which is a time consuming exercise”.
As per the proposal of the Health Department, out of 136 ambulances 25 would be converted into Critical Care and remaining will be provided basic equipment. The Critical Care Ambulances would be provided one in each district, one each to the Directorates of Health Services and one to be deployed exclusively for Katra, the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi pilgrimage.
“Moreover, the Government has yet not worked out the mechanism for distribution of remaining 111 ambulances”, sources said.
All this clearly indicates that ‘focused attention’ which the Government is talking about has remained confined to the official files and ground situation still paints gloomy picture.
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