Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, July 18: Government has given a nod to the establishment of the Department of Hospital Administration in Government Medical College, Srinagar and Jammu.
In this regard, the Health & Medical Education (H&ME) Department has issued formal orders stating that the Department of Hospital Administration will be set up at the GMCs in tune with the National Medical Commission and National Board of Examination (NBE) guidelines.
While the process was on, the GMs were asked whether the proposed establishment of the Department and consequent re-designation of the posts to faculty posts would affect the corresponding age of superannuation to such members of the service, as compared to their present status concerning their age of superannuation.
They were also directed to provide the details of the number of doctors, as may be required to be equipped with knowledge in Hospital Administration by the Department apart from the number and details of such hospitals, whether tertiary care level or district level or sub-district level, where such Doctors with an acquired qualification in Hospital Administration are proposed to be posted by the Department.
The move of setting up the Department of Hospital Administration is going to improve the functioning of the hospitals by training the doctors in the efficient functioning and management of the hospitals while it is to be noted that the new medical colleges do not have the posts of Medical Superintendent and Deputy Medical Superintendent.
The details were also sought on the current status of the availability and the number of Doctors having already acquired such academic qualifications in Hospital Administration serving in the Department.
The GMCs were also asked to furnish analysis concerning the availability of such courses in the discipline of Hospital Administration, from the recognized universities through distance mode, for imparting training to the in-service Medical Officers of the Department and financial viability, considering the demand-supply factors of the course.
The move has come after a high-level panel that was set up by the High Court to assess and suggest improvements in the working of Medical Facilities in UT Jammu & Kashmir, which then submitted its report in August 2021, in which a 4-member panel had made a mention of the absence of Hospital Administration Departments in the GMCs across J&K.
The report of the panel noted that the Medical and Deputy Superintendents are important administrators for ensuring the smooth running of patient care in the Hospital, while underlining that, the panel said that all newly created Medical Colleges have Medical and Deputy Medical Superintendents, who are Medical Officers but with no training in the Hospital Administration.
The panel stated that SKIMS Soura is the only Medical School that has a Department of Hospital Administration and an MD course in Hospital Administration.
“Such a Course should be immediately started in Government Medical College Srinagar to fulfill the needs of new medical colleges,” the panel recommended, while also adding that the posts of one Medical Superintendent and two Deputy Medical Superintendents in each newly created Medical College should be established.
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