Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, Nov 15: Patient care at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS), Srinagar, has been severely hit due to shortage of staff and strike by Post-Graduate (PG) doctors against their overburdening.
Thirty six PG doctors at SMHS hospital are on strike since yesterday against ‘overburdened duty’. Authorities in SMHS have asked the PG doctors to work in Triage Ward (high-dependency ward) and Medicinal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as these sections are facing severe shortage of staff. Resenting the move, the PG doctors are on strike since yesterday, causing inconvenience to hundreds of patients who throng the SMHS everyday.
The Health Department had appointed nearly 130 Assistant Surgeons for Triage Ward and Medicinal ICU few years back. “The basic motive was the augmentation of the staff. However, with the passage of time most of the Assistant Surgeons managed to get themselves appointed in non-clinical areas and some of them were posted as Resident Medical Officers and Chief Medical Officers while some are staying away from duties due to proximity with bureaucrats,” the sources said.
A senior doctor at SMHS told Excelsior on the condition of anonymity that when the appointments were made they had urged the higher ups to keep the appointees only for 3 months in Triage Ward because of “hectic duty”. “The triage ward is very hectic and we had told them not to permanently post these assistant surgeons there. We told them to rotate their duties after 3 months. But we were not heard and the results are before you,” he said.
Sources said that as of now no Assistant Surgeon is working in Triage Ward and Medicinal ICU. “Earlier, there were 10 Assistant Surgeons but for last 15 days there is none of them and patients are suffering. It was only PGs who were doing additional duty there,” the sources said. They further said that the concerned authorities had ordered some Assistant Surgeons posted at Chest Disease (CD) Hospital to join the Triage Ward but they had clearly refused. “Those Assistant Surgeons had told them that they were already posted in these sections earlier and those should be posted there who have never been there”, the sources said.
Medical Superintendent (MS) Nazir Chowdhary admitted that the PG doctors are overburdened due to staff shortage. He, however, said that the Principal Medical College has sent a list to Health Minister for the appointment of 70 Assistant Surgeons on the contractual basis. “I admit that their grievances are genuine. We had told them to wait for few days but they abruptly went on strike and everything except Emergency came to standstill,” he told Excelsior, adding: “We are sure that the Health Minister would okay the list.” However, the sources, said that the list was sent around 6 months ago but the Health Minister had put it on hold.
The Medical Superintendent admitted that the doctors from CD hospital didn’t join the duty at Triage Ward so far. “By today they will join. If they don’t abide by the orders, we will take action,” he said.
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