Srinagar, Feb 26: Apparently disturbed at the flak received for its recent raids on some private clinics in the City and subsequent leakage of the video-footage, the divisional administration in its bid to justify the action against the doctors Saturday came out with an explanation on the issue.
 The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon chaired a high level meeting during which he constituted a committee headed by Additional Commissioner, Kashmir, AM Wani to monitor the functioning of the doctors.
 The committee, as per an official handout, shall have representatives of SK-Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Director Health Services Kashmir, Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar and Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar.
 The Divisional Commissioner will himself monitor the functioning of the committee through Director SKIMS, Principal GMC Srinagar and Director Health Services Kashmir.

MEET RESOLUTION
 “It was observed in the meeting that doctors of SKIMS hospital cannot under rules do private practice as there is a blanket ban imposed by government on them and private practice is a cognizable offence under the SKIMS Act,” the handout said.
 “Similarly, Principal GMC, Medical Superintendent, Deputy Medical Superintendent, Registrars, demonstrators or those undergoing post graduation and other doctors who are availing non-practicing allowance are barred from private practice,” it added.
 “However, teaching faculty of Medical Education are allowed to do private practice beyond duty hours, but not on the days when they are on emergency duty.”
 It was also stated that in health department, Medical Superintendent, Deputy Medical Superintendent and all those doctors who are holding administrative posts are barred from private practice, the official handout said.
 It was told faculty of medical education of doctors of Health department not holding administration posts can do private practice beyond duty hours.
 The meeting was informed that “instructions have such issued to private nursing homes not to entertain any government doctor for consultation during duty hours”.
 “It was also impressed upon the B-Grade specialists working in District Hospitals  not to leave district headquarters without proper permission. Concerned HoDs of SKIMS, GMC and Director Health Services Kashmir were instructed to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the doctors found absent during surprise checks. Action would also be initiated against the concerned Medical Superintendent in case large scale absentees of Doctors/paramedics is found during surprise checks, especially in Sub District/District hospitals.”

BEHIND THE SCREENS
 Highly placed sources said the meeting was called in response to the alleged embarrassment, the administration had to face on the leakage of the video-footage of doctors being alleged caught red-handed in the Sarkari camera, which many said was humiliating for the medical profession.
 Sources said the members of the raid team complained that they were feeling unsecured amid continued public condemnation that as to why the videos were made public. And also as to why the police was “proactively involved” in the raids.
 “Instead of being honoured for the feat of exposing those doing private practice, we are being treated like culprits as if we did some heinous crime,” a member of the raid team is understood to have told the meeting.
 “Unless government acknowledges our feat, it will be difficult for us to conduct raids anymore,” one of them is learnt to have argued.
 Finally the meeting resolved that the raids had to be “justified come what may.”
 “So it’s necessary that we issue directions for future course action,” the meeting is understood to have resolved.
 Interestingly, the issue of future raids at the private clinics wasn’t discussed much.
 Same reflected in the official handout which didn’t mention about the progress or future course of raids which were started on Monday.
 Interestingly, more than the raids, the video-leakage and the public reaction to it on the social networking websites including Facebook were discussed, said a medico present at the meeting requesting not to be named.

THE GENESIS
 Pertinently, earlier this week, on the instructions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah the authorities carried out raids at private clinics and claimed to have caught red-handed some doctors from SKIMS and SMHS doing the practice.
 The video footage of the operations led by Additional Commissioner, Kashmir, AM Wani were aired by some private channels while an unedited copy of the same leaked to social networking sites including Facebook.
 The video release drew flak from various quarters with many terming it human rights abuse. It thereby  triggered a “sympathy wave” towards the medical fraternity with eyebrows being raised on the modus operandi.
 Many have been arguing that when in-camera trial is held even in case of accused in the infamous sex scandal on 2005, why where the medicos made to get filmed for videos which leaked to social networking websites and even mobile phones.
 The medico netizens even accused the SKIMS top brass of engineering the raids to “shoot two sitting ducks of the hospital and subsequently cash the move for extension”.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:00:00 IST