Dr A S Bhatia
The last three years have changed the way the health sector is being treated by most of the governments all over the globe. Covid pandemic has made us understand that the best possible investment in public sector is that of health and medical education. The whole world has witnessed drastic change in the mindset of policy makers and health sector has become their top priority. The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is also not left behind by this unprecedented rise of health care, post covid scenario. There has been a huge investment at all levels, may it be the health care delivery system or imparting health education and Jammu and Kashmir also has taken a front role in this direction throughout the country. All the district hospitals are now well equipped with oxygen plants, have enormously increased oxygen supported beds, even panchyat Ghars were provided with the oxygen concentrators, the diagnostic facilities have been upgraded across the union territory. The emerging concept of Telemedicine, Tele ICU, virtual zoom meetings, and use of artificial intelligence in different fields of medical science are the positive outcomes of the centuries worst pandemic thereby truly supporting the concept of our prime minister,” aapdha mei avsar” ( finding opportunity in the distress).
It is not only the health care delivery system which has witnessed a boom in its investments; the medical education also got the top priority by different governments. The Health and Medical education department in J& K has emerged as a leader in starting DNB courses (Post graduate courses) in different health care facilities across the country. Even Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has lauded the new era of medical education in Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister hailed the Government’s decision to grant DNB Post Graduate medical seats across more than twenty districts in Govt hospitals and had said that it is an important effort aimed at empowering the youth and furthering medical infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. It is pertinent to mention J&K has emerged as the leader to start maximum number of these DNB courses and became the only UT to get affiliation and recognition from the accreditation agency to start this course even in a CHC and at present has got permission to start post graduate courses with more than 270 seats getting accredited during session 2022 and start of 2023 consequent to the concerted efforts and dedicated approach of the administrative department H&ME J&K, NHM and the team of different health institutions which made Union Minister of Health and Family welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya to tweet, “Heralding a new era of medical education in Jammu and Kashmir” on this incredible feat. Even Lt Governor said, “This important stride in the healthcare sector truly symbolizes PM Narendera Modi’s vision of self – reliance , achieving excellence in modern health facilities in remote locations, and reducing the urban – rural divide to deliver services at people’s doorstep,”
Another revolutionary step taken up by the HME Department is the issuance of an order on 22nd of June 2023, thereby switching to adaptation of Rotational Headships in various departments of Government Medical and Dental Colleges of Jammu and Kashmir. It is very important to note that many prestigious institutes of the country have already shifted to the concept of headship rotation in their institutes including JPIMER, Puducherry, NIMHANS, Bangalore. Even the faculty associations of two leading health care institutes of the country- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh have written to the NITI Ayog to introduce rotatory headship in these institutes at the earliest! The new system was the need of the hour as there are many examples where the HoDs have occupied the chairs for nearly two decades and others despite becoming professors had never been able to head the departments and many had to retire without becoming HoD being older in age! Further the new persons will have fresh energy , new ideas, new methodology to work which will definitely help the departments to grow and will bring an end to the hierarchical power structures! The suppressing and biased attitude of many in “Recommended and forwarded” which at present is the norm whenever a faculty member has to get his papers moved to higher authorities in administrative department, will receive a final nail in their coffin! The new system will also help to replace many non performing and dysfunctional HoDs. Besides the existing system of permanent Headship, which is riddled with far too many problems will be able to see a new era of transparency, meritocracy and expansions in the departments.
As our past experience has shown that the concept of permanent headship has become the main, “High entry barrier” in many departments with many young talents leaving the departments and joining the big corporate hospital in metro cities and many of the senior doctors are aware of losing a doctor in the field of medical oncology in 1990s, who left GMC Jammu and presently the most sought after oncologist, not of the country but over the globe, and that boy came from a remote village of tehsil Billawar. The list of such lost talented doctors from J & K is endless and the reason behind all of them leaving the Government Medical colleges can be traced to the plaguing issue of permanent headship!
After this history making revolutionary decision of Government of J & K of rotatory headship, the next most needed step is the intermedical college transfer of the faculty of different Government Medical Colleges. Many new Medical colleges have come up in periphery, both in Jammu and Kashmir and in order to fullfill the dream of Pradhan Mantri Swathya, Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) of ensuring the implementation of Three Es of Expand – Equity-Excellence it should be made mandatory for all the faculty members to serve in these peripheral new government medical colleges for a certain specific defined period which will help in overcoming the shortage of faculty as well as will go a long way to get renewal of recognition from National Medical Commission and above all will bring an end to the story of “Kissa Kursi Ka” in Government Medical Colleges!! Otherwise as Mirza Ghalib said,
“Do Rangiyaan ye zamaane kii
Jiite Jii hain sab,
Ki murdon ko na badalte hue
Kafan dekha…!
(The author is Principal, Government Medical College Rajouri)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
