The Jammu and Kashmir health sector, one of the important sectors has received much central and state government attention for the past one decade.it is a fast growing and demand driven sector in the modern age due to sedentary life and adoption of fat and protein rich diets by the people. The sedentary life and nutritious diet by the people have given rise to many lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, high blood Pressure, fatty liver disease etc. there is hardly any family in the Kashmir valley particularly whose one or more members are not involved in one or more lifestyle diseases and taking necessary medicines. It clearly indicates the gravity of health conditions of all families in Kashmir valley who are dependent on medicines in order to survive their normal lives. This has increased the demand of doctors, specialists and hospitals in the valley. However, the state government with assistance of the central government has established many hospitals, medical colleges, Ayurvedic colleges, super specialty centres of excellence, AYUSH centres, research centres etc. in the state with the main objective to improve health conditions of the people and to take the health sector to new heights. Thousands of young educated degree holders have been appointed as doctors by the state government who have been waiting for jobs for years in order to serve the common people particularly the rural poor. However, after their appointments in the government health sector particularly on vacancies of rural hospitals, the majority of doctors’ attitude and conscience have changed from people service to materialistic nature due to their private practice despite receiving handsome salaries. The care of common and rural ailing poor people have been now left at the mercy of almighty Allah. The poor people from rural villages always wish and expect much from the government hospitals but due to the increasing trend of private practice by the government doctors and specialists, the majority of the rural population suffer badly at their hands that takes lives of innocent rural poor people unnecessarily. A good chunk of government doctors are not working sincerely and honestly in rural government hospitals in particular and urban government hospitals in general as their minds are always preoccupied with private practice for which they spend some important hours in private hospitals and clinics for minting money. They charge their patients at exorbitant prices from prescription to tests and medicines as well. Under Ayushman Bharat scheme, even some doctors of government hospitals are taking undue advantage by referring patients from government hospitals to private hospitals and perform procedures like surgeries themselves there due to nexus with the administration of some private hospitals. Persuading patients to visit their clinics and private hospitals where patients have to spend huge amounts even for small procedures is a crime and against the code of ethics and norms of the medical profession. It deprives the poor and underprivileged people of the fundamental right of affordable treatment and raises many questions about government doctors like why government doctors are indulged in unnecessary private practices and referring poor patients to the private hospitals and perform procedures there by themselves? Are government hospitals like the SMHS not well equipped and developed for patients’ procedures like surgeries? Are government doctors not receiving a handsome salary? Such types of government doctors are on two ladders namely the government and the private. Their posting, arrival and departure are their own choices due to many reasons. Punctuality and regularity hardly matters to them and consultation of the rural poor patients are beyond their conscience. Doctors doing private practices have been continuously watched and observed by the societies all the time and they are looked down upon by the civilized men of all societies’. Majority of government doctors indulged in private practices lack work culture, ethics, transparency, accountability, integrity, impartiality, dynamism in government hospitals. They lose their temper easily and their behavior and attitude with the poor patients are not satisfactory. These so-called specialists are fed up with the patients in government hospitals and are often feeling uncomfortable and tired there but in private clinics and hospitals, they are feeling comfortable and easy in consulting a huge number of patients. Honestly speaking, some government doctors visit private clinics and hospitals very early for consultation purposes and some work there until late hours of night.
Charging more than four hundred rupees per patient in private hospitals and clinics for observing a patient just for one minute also speaks volumes about materialistic doctors. Private practice by government doctors have degraded and hollowed health institutions.it has been taking innocent lives of rural poor people daily. It is pertinent to mention here that some doctors and specialists posted in rural hospitals are working in Srinagar hospitals due to House Rent and other allowances and the rural poor patients suffer very much at their hands. It is irony that a few days ago, The Chairman Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement Dr. Raja Muzafar Bhat highlighted a pathetic condition of SDH Nagam Chadora hospital where doctors and specialists posts are lying vacant for many years and few doctors posted there have been working in Srinagar hospitals and unfortunately, the poor people have to travel long distance to reach the Srinagar hospitals for treatments. Almost in every rural hospital particularly district Budgam like the SDH Beerwah, the PHC Narbal etc. at least one to two doctors posted there have been working in other hospitals due to the interest of administration. There are also honest and dedicated doctors in government hospitals who are doing justice with their patients and profession by serving and treating their ailments sincerely. They feel pride and prestige by working tirelessly in the government hospitals and are highly satisfied at their handsome salary received from the government. They consider treating rural poor patients a prophetic profession. Societies always give them due respect and honor for their sincere and dedicated work and duties. The Jammu and Kashmir government is always saying deadwood and nail employees in government departments but the hardworking, dedicated and honest employees in all government departments are yet to understand who the deadwood employees are. People know better whom employees are deadwood and nail in government departments and who are dedicated and loyal to their duties because the societies always assess the work culture of employees in a very beautiful manner. Dedicated and honest employees always keep various things in mind like fear of the Almighty Allah, problems and needs of poor people, service rules and regulations, code of ethics, genuine rights of people etc. Government must impose a blanket ban on private practice of government doctors as it has added to the woes of rural poor and underprivileged patients by taking their heavy toll and blocked the employment avenues to young and budding unemployed doctors. The recent panel report by expert members for seeking ban on private practice by government doctors is a welcome step that will definitely bring a sigh of relief and respite to the poor people and will take the health sector to new heights. It has been hailed by the President Doctors Association Kashmir Dr. Nisar Ul Hassan, the Chairman Jammu and Kashmir RTI movement Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat , Civil societies, NGO,s, Religious organizations’ etc. It is pertinent to mention here that in 2020, The High court of Jammu and Kashmir has banned the private practice of government doctors however despite ban by the high court; the order was not implemented due to unknown reasons. It is the high time if the government bans private practice of government doctors by giving them two choices either to work in government hospitals or to leave their jobs for private practices, so that transparency, accountability and work culture in government hospitals is ensured for the benefit of all people and improvement of the overall health performance of the Kashmir valley.
( The author is a teacher at Govt Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah Budgam. Views are exclusively his own)
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