GMC-J1st choice; none willing to join as principal in remote districts

With an aim to give boost and better Health and Medical infrastructure, Jammu and Kashmir Administration after approval from the Union Health Ministry is coming up with full-fledged new Government Medical Colleges across the Union Territory but in Jammu Division, the Government Medical College Jammu is the first choice for the faculty eligible for the post of the Principal as no one is willing to join the chair in the remote districts.

Source privy in Health and Medical Education said that the government has undoubtedly has opened new medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir to provide better healthcare at doorsteps, but when it comes to the appointment of staff including the Principal, most of the senior doctors have refused to join in these colleges.

“The Government Medical College Jammu has many contenders who are eyeing the chair of Principal but, in other colleges, senior doctors are not ready even to join the post,” sources said.

They said that in GMC Rajouri, Dr. Brij Sharma, Principal, will be attaining superannuation this month but the Health and Medical Education Department is battling to finalize the name of next Principal as no senior professor is agreeing to take over the post of Principal GMC Rajouri.

“As per official records, no faculty member is currently eligible for the post of Principal in Rajouri GMC but understanding the urgency of the situation, the appointment has to be made from the Government Medical College, Jammu,” sources revealed.

At present, sources said that Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, HOD, Department of Oncology in GMC Jammu is the senior most Professors, but he is believed to the top contender for the post of Principal in Jammu GMC in place of sitting Principal Dr. Shashi Sudan, who falls second in seniority and is also posted in-charge Principal.

Dr. Ghanshyam Saini, HOD, Department of Pediatrics, is at the third position in the seniority list but no one is ready to join as Principal GMC Rajouri, sources added and said that following these three in the list, around seven senior professors are falling in the seniority list but reluctant to join.

“The faculty following these doctors does not have five years experience as professors, which is a must for the post of Principal and so the department has not reached the consensus to appoint the new Principal,” sources revealed.

Earlier, even senior professors had refused to become the Principal of Doda Medical College as well after Dr. Dinesh Kumar, former Principal of Doda Medical College availed premature retirement, sources said and added that later Dr. Noor Ali, HOD, Department of Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS) was appointed as the Principal.

“One of the main reasons that the senior doctors are not agreeing to join as Principal because the appointments are not permanent as they are being posted as In-charge,” they said adding that the doctors have expressed resentment on this claiming that despite giving so many years into the service, what is the fun of joining as in-charge if they are not given the benefits in service they are entitled for.

Sources also said that there is an acute shortage of senior doctors in new medical colleges especially in Doda and Rajouri.

“Presently two professors have been shifted from GMC Jammu to meet the prevailing crisis,” they said.
However, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Dr. A K Mehta on Monday directed the concerned department to make all Government Medical Colleges functional by March 2022 ending.

“All Medical Colleges must be made fully functional by end March, 2022,” Dr. Mehta said while reviewing the status of the new Medical Colleges.

He asked the Department to ensure that any issue related to infrastructure, equipment or manpower is addressed by that time.

The Chief Secretary was apprised that the basic project of the Cancer Institute at SKIMS, Srinagar is complete, has been commissioned and is operational.

It was also informed that the similar institute at GMC, Jammu will also be made functional by March, 2022.
Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta chaired a meeting to review the functioning of the Health & Medical Education

Department and took stock of the physical and financial targets achieved this financial year.
At the outset, the Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department gave a presentation drawing a picture of the functioning of the Department in general, and achievements under various sectors in particular viz. Health Institutions including Medical Colleges, NHM, Emergency Covid-19 Response Package (ECRP), National Ayush Mission, National Aids Control Programme, healthcare infrastructure development and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

While discussing ECRP, Chief Secretary directed Principals of all Medical Colleges and Director, Health Services to ensure that the status report with respect to medical equipment like ventilators, beds etc. human resource, oxygen plants, Liquid Medical Oxygen is made available to the concerned authorities within a day, so that any issue identified, is addressed, or an alternate arrangement is made in time, to cater to any emergent situation.
The Chief Secretary observed that Jammu & Kashmir has made significant progress towards achieving 100 percent coverage in immunization of children as per the National Immunization Schedule, and asked the department to launch a campaign reaching out to the people with an aim to cover all left out children within a period of 3-4 months. The Chief Secretary further observed that considering 94% of births in the Union territory are institutional births, the department should explore making the immunization record of each child digitally available, which can be extracted to an application like Digi Locker.

With respect to the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the Chief Secretary asked the concerned Directors of Health Services to ensure that the payments under all schemes are made directly into the Aadhar linked bank accounts of the end beneficiaries timely, without any delay and backlog if any, needs to be immediately addressed. The Chief Secretary directed the concerned to ensure 100% saturation of Golden Cards under Universal Health Insurance.

With a view to improve the standards of healthcare at all institutions across the Union territory, the Chief Secretary said that the level of healthcare made available to the people should be at par with cities like Mumbai and Chandigarh so that any individual is not compelled to travel to cities outside J&K to avail specialized healthcare. Dr. Mehta observed that the hospitals should come up with SOPs of an exchange programme or an excellence group wherein doctors can discuss medical cases and the line of treatment cutting across different hospitals.

The Chief Secretary observed that all hospitals need to maintain a high level of hygiene and cleanliness and should have a quality policy in place immediately. He asked the department to develop an online healthcare feedback system so that the satisfaction level amongst the people can be gauged and improvements can be made. Dr. Mehta noted that the hospitals need to have a proper referral system in place, indicating the name of the doctor referring to the case, to curb avoidable referrals. He also directed the concerned to evolve a system in line with CAB for patient waiting-areas in the hospitals, adding that the hospitals should also put a check on the number of attendants that accompany a patient.

With respect to under-utilized medical equipment, Dr. Mehta asked the concerned Directors to furnish a report to the Administrative Department within a week indicating any kind of hospital equipment that is lying un-utilized.
He further directed the concerned to ensure that the list of medicines that are available free of cost is conspicuously displayed in the hospitals, for public awareness.