Patients suffer due to shortage of doctors
Tauseef Ahmad
BANDIPORA, Aug 6: Authorities in north Kashmir’s Bandipora are sleeping over the habitual absence from duties by doctors at the Public Health Center Ashtangoo in the district despite the issue having been repeatedly brought to their notice thereby hitting the patient care.
The patient care at the Public Health Center (PHC) in Ashtangoo village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, which caters to around 15,000 people, is suffering due to lack of doctors and paramedical staff.
The village is located 11 km from district headquarters, surrounding villages of Kehneusa, Kanbathu, Aloosa, Kema, Badyara that depend on this PHC have been left in dire straits, mostly after COVID19, forcing the inhabitants to commute several kilometers to seek medical aid.
Talking to Kashmir Despatch one of the attendants of the patient Abdul Khaliq said: “My son is not feeling well today. I visited PHC around 11:30. I found out that no dentist and medical officer is present and the room is locked.”
Locals said that the Administration is forcing poor people to go into private hospitals as most of the time we find doctors absent at PHC.
Amid the indifference by the authorities, a human population of hundreds the health center caters to has been left high and dry due to the doctors’ unauthorized absence.
According to an application, bearing number CMOB/Estt/2022/23/1309/16 dated 29 July 2022, written by Block Medical Officer to the intimation of Director health services Kashmir that two dental, three medical officers, one Anesthetist, one pharmacist, one BHW, three BNO had been relieving and had been directed to join their original place of posting.
Following order doctors joined their original place of posting but the doctors have been found regularly absent from their duties in PHC Ashtangoo.
Meanwhile when contacted CMO Bandipora Dr. Bashir Ahmad refused to talk to Kashmir Despatch in this regard.
However, Director Health Services Kashmir Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad said: “The government takes action if anybody is found absent from duties at their original places of posting. We will surely take strict action against those officials who remain absent.”
