Give extension in joining to medicos

Dear Editor,
Health sector in JK has always been on receiving end because of apathy, insensitivity, nepotism, poor administrative decisions because of paucity of the ideas of so-called administrators who claim themselves to possess superior brain and class apart than the general public. The preferential treatment to some, helping them in their promotions and according responsible positions without considering any merit and putting those at disadvantageous positions who do not possess any kind of means to influence the administrators in health and medical education has been a core component, which has spoiled the health and medical education department. The corrupt and inept administrators have allowed the flourishing of the medical mafia, which lets the expenditure occur but not let the delivery of quality health services to needy in any of the hospitals.
The latest addition to the pride of the administrators is the refusal to extend joining time to COVID Warriors, who till recently were being applauded every other day , but when some of them got selected to JK Health Services, while pursuing Postgraduation degree (MD/MS), they are being denied the opportunity to serve in JK by extending their joining period for completion of MD, MS.
Isn’t its ironical, on one side there is need to have qualified medical professionals especially in rural areas , and on other hand the administrators of health department show apathy to the needs of public as well as to the Covid Warriors, nullifying the sincere efforts of the govt to deliver health care delivery at door-steps of the public. The question need be put before health administrators is that how the department and public will be at loss if they retain the medical professionals in health services by extending their joining time by few months , an practice being followed by various recruitment agencies including UPSC to retain manpower, who are interested in serving .
By refusing the extension in joining time to the doctors pursuing MD / MS courses , this action by the health Babus, will push the young medical specialist out of J&K in few months after they complete their courses in absence of the regular job option and people as well as the UT will be at loss for ever.
The other aspect which is being ignored is the benefit which rural population will get if the services of the specialist doctors are retained by giving them option to join after completion of MD /MS courses.
At present, there are over 100 vacancies of medical officers vacant in GMC, Supers specality hospital and associated hospitals, and if the Govt is keen to retain them , it can comfortably let them join against these posts while they are in process of their post graduation. During COVID pandemic, the probation period of KAS probationers was shortened and similarly the selected doctors pursuing post graduation can be be given extension in joining if govt wishes to avoid brain drain.
It is pertinent to mention here that Jammu Kashmir offer very poor salaries to its doctors as compared to neighbouring states and other UTs, working conditions are extremely poor in peripheral area, demotivating the young and aspiring, and the humiliating attitude of the administrators in health department to the doctors, especially to freshers keep them on brink of making decisions to leave J&K. If ever the Govt wish to retain its qualified medical professionals, it will have to get the health Babus awaken from their slumber, approach realistically to the needs of public as well as of jobless doctors while maintaining their dignity and honour.
Sunil Kumar,
Jammu.