Short-staffed hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir to get relief

JAMMU - Concerned over the shortage of doctors and para-medical staff in Jammu and Kashmir’s medical colleges and hospitals, state Minister for Medical Education Rajinder Singh Chib said the assisting staff will soon be hired on contract basis.

“To be honest, I am totally unsatisfied with the existing system in medical colleges and their associated hospitals both in Jammu and Srinagar,” Chib, a former Indian Air Force officer, said in an interview to IANS by phone from Srinagar.

The minister said he was personally looking into fast track contractual appointments of para-medics and other staff.

“It is being done. All shortages in this field will be filled soon.”

The minister said lack of proper work culture in the medical colleges and the shortage of doctors, staff and para-medics were compounding the problems faced by these institutes.

On the government medical colleges and hospitals (GMCH), Chibb said: “Though all the wings and departments need a big change and a more humane approach, I am planning to start by streamlining emergency and casualty sections.”

“Every problem starts at the emergency and casualty sections which is not being dealt in the manner as it should be,” admitted the minister.

Chib noted with concern that there are just 90 nurses in GMCH, Jammu.

“Which is undoubtedly very less. If we have proper number of nurses taking care of the patients, then we can have lesser number of attendants who obstruct the working of hospitals.”

The minister said the manpower crunch is even more acute in hospitals at the district level. But he did not have the figures as they come under the health department.

The GMCH Srinagar and Jammu have been approved for upgradation to the level of All India Institute of Medical Science at a cost of Rs.120 crore under the prime minister’s reconstruction plan.

Moreover, nine super-speciality hospitals, an Institute of Traumatology and a nursing college have been sanctioned for Srinagar. While Jammu will have 15 super speciality hospitals with 220 beds being created or up-graded.

“But before we talk of those super speciality hospitals, we have to provide the basics in the real sense,” the minister said.

Chib said though the state-run hospitals have all the sophisticated machines like MRI, CT scan, ultrasould and heart echo, people still prefer private hospitals and clinics.

“I am looking into the reasons why patients go to private clinics for these tests.”