1. Home
2. Kashmir

Patients, attendants protest doctors' pen down strike at GMC Anantnag

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 1/12/2021 1:55:41 PM

DAK Gen Sec says interference of revenue officials in hospital affairs unacceptable

ANANTNAG, Jan 11: Scores of patients and attendants on Monday held protests outside government medical college (GMC) Anantnag against the non-availability of doctors in the hospital who were on strike in response to the call by Doctors Association Kashmir.
DAK on Sunday had called for a two-hour pen down strike in hospitals against the 'interference of revenue officials' into the healthcare system.
Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, on Sunday had visited the GMC associated lone maternity hospital of South Kashmir in Anantnag town and had sought explanation from at least fourteen doctors who were found absent.
Though action by the Deputy Commissioner was hailed by many social media users but the doctors expressed anger against what they called “interference into healthcare system”.
Many doctors mostly the representative of DAK, took to popular social networking sites to express their anger against the explanation being served to absentee doctors. They said that officials from the administration don’t actually know that there is something called duty roaster in hospitals.
In response to the call by various doctors associations, doctors at GMC Anantnag on Monday observed two hour strike. In the morning as the patients from various far-flung areas reached the hospital for seeking treatment, they found the doctors unavailable in OPD. Though the Casualty was running smoothly but scores of OPD patients after being refused to be seen by the doctors during strike hours gathered outside the main gate of GMC and held protests. They complained of severe inconvenience due to the non-availability of doctors in OPD.
However, after the two-hour strike ended, doctors, according to hospital sources resumed their duties in OPD and started examining patients.
DAK, general secretary, Dr Owais Dar said that there is a set protocal for the doctors and para-medics in hospitals to attend duties.
"Following the snowfall, the administration bitterly failed to clear snow from roads making it difficult for not only commoners but also health workers to make it to their respective hospitals. In this situation, medics and para-medics did not leave their respective hospitals keeping in view the weather situation. But what some officials from administration do is that they visit the hospitals and check the presence of doctors there without checking the roaster which doctors and para-medics are supposed to follow," Dr Owais said.
He said, they bypass the CMOs and Medical superintendents and interfere in the affairs of health department.
"What is the point of keeping CMOs, BMOs and Medical superintendents when revenue officials directly visit the hospitals and seek explanation from doctors who are not supposed to be in hospitals as per the roaster. This is unacceptable. We had a meeting with the DHSK in this regard who also described it unfortunate," DAK, general secretary said.
He said that Monday’s two-hour pen down strike was against the interference of revenue officials into healthcare affairs.