JAMMU, Feb 18:In the absence of a ban on government doctors’ private practices in Jammu and Kashmir, the various private health institutes across the Union Territory (UT) are being allegedly run by the government doctors which is affecting the services at the government hospitals for the last so many years.
Recently, as per police, a government doctor was arrested for carrying out an illegal abortion and running clinic without proper permission from the health department. Of course, it was not a single incident where a government doctor was found running his own clinic or health centre as there were several instances where government doctors are operating their own clinics in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
There was news that the government was going to ban the private practices of the government doctors in a bid to strengthen the government hospitals but nothing has been done so far in this regard by the concerned authorities.
Sources said that the hurdles were being created in banning the private practice of doctors by a strong lobby which is continuously misleading the government as it do not want a ban be imposed on the private practices because the doctors are getting a handsome amount for running the private clinics and centres and attending others hospitals.
Sources alleged that private hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir were being run by government doctors, who are not only taking a salary from the government but at the same time minting huge money by treating the patients in private hospitals. Even some of the government doctors have established their own independent practice centres in the UT.
Sources added that the doctors focus their efforts on private practice as they use public hospitals as recruiting grounds for their private practice to generate business. It needs to be understood the tactics of some doctors working in the government hospitals. They (doctors) deliberately increase waiting times at government hospitals so that patients are forced to go to private clinics.
“Whereas, the patients in government hospitals are left to the mercy of trainee doctors who lack expertise to handle cases, sources alleged, adding that the patients suffer due to misdiagnosis or delayed intervention due to non-availability of senior doctors who most of the times are in their clinics or outside the respective hospitals.
Agencies
