Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 1: Supreme Court decision on private practice of doctors will decide the fate of much talked about Paid Evening Clinic in Jammu as the ongoing standoff between State Government and Medical Faculty continues over the issue.
Even as the required infrastructure in respect of space and machinery for running the Evening Clinic at Chopra Nursing Home is in place, the administration of Government Medical College is finding it difficult to prepare roaster of the doctors for duty there as Medical faculty is opposed to the idea tooth and nail, official sources informed the Excelsior.
Both the Operation Theatres are ready while all the rooms in Ground as well as First floor have been furnished after completion of plumbing and electric fitting etc for starting paid OPD in the Chopra Nursing Home, sources added.
However, on the other hand, there is virtual no response to the fresh circular by the Principal Government Medical College Jammu to all the Heads of Department for preparing roaster of the doctors for their duty in the Evening Clinic, sources further said.
According to Dr Shashi Gupta, Principal of GMC Jammu, everything was in place for making the Evening Clinic functional. “All the necessary arrangements are in final stage and we have also prepared duty roaster of Nursing Staff, Technicians and Para-Medical Staff for deployment in the Chopra Nursing Home while the process is on for planning duty roaster of doctors,” she said.
Claiming that her office had received roaster of a few doctors for duty in the Evening Clinic, the Principal, however, refused to comment on the stand taken by Medical Teachers Association over the issue.
As reported earlier, the Medical faculty is opposing the idea of paid Evening Clinic in GMC Jammu notwithstanding a blanket ban on private practice of the Heads of Departments and a similar move in offing by the Government against other faculty members also.
According to Dr Tariq Azad, president of Medical Teachers Association, Jammu, the purposed Evening Clinics would not serve any purpose to general public but only create a chaos in the GMC hospital, which is already overburdened.
A number of senior doctors, on the condition of anonymity, echoed the opinion of Dr Tariq Azad and alleged that the Minister of Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din was creating un-wanted controversy over the issue.
When contacted, Taj Mohi-ud-Din reiterated his stand on making the Evening Clinic functional even if doctors refuse to give their services for the paid OPD. “Like Srinagar, the Evening Clinic in Jammu will become functional within days for convenience of the general public notwithstanding opposition of the same by some faculty members,” he said.
As the Government is fully geared up for making the Chopra Nursing Home operational despite opposition of the faculty members, sources said that all eyes are set now on verdict of Supreme Court where hearing on Special Leave Petition (SLP) over ban on private practice of doctors is scheduled on July 17.
Pertinent to mention that the State had earlier filed an SLP over J&K High Court’s Division Bench direction for ban of private practice of Government doctors. In case the State withdraws its SLP or the apex court upholds DB decision after July 17 hearing, the private practice of Government doctors would get banned in both the cases.
“I will ensure strict enforcement of the ban on private practice of these doctors who will start attending the Evening Clinic thereafter,” Mr Taj said thus indicating that fate of private OPD in Government hospitals depends on SC verdict.
It may be mentioned here that very few doctors are attending paid OPD at Evening Clinic in Srinagar also.
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