JAMMU, JULY 17: Caught between the tussle of ministry of Health and ministry of Medical Education, the dream of many doctors aspiring for Registrarship course have been shattered.
 Sources said that there are as many as 24 posts of Registrar laying vacant in 13 departments of Government Medical College Jammu for past 6 months, but the government was not holding interviews for admitting the doctors for the  3 year training course that make them eligible for these post.
 The main hitch, according to sources, was the reluctance of health department to relieve the doctors eligible for the training on the plea that it would affect the healthcare in the peripheral hospitals. Only a Public Service Commission passed MD doctor with two years service in the peripheral hospitals is eligible to apply for the training course, sources said adding that when a doctor applies for the same, the health department puts a spanner by refusing them to relieve.
 Sources attribute the tussle between the two departments for these being headed by two ministers. They said the dearth of registrars was directly affecting the emergency services at the GMC.
 Sources informed that due personal tussle between two ministers, candidates applying for the post of Registrar are not relived by Health department on one pretext or another which deprive them to undertake training and ultimately they had to adopt legal course of action to appear in an interview of Registrarship.
 Pertinently Registrarship - a three year training programme, is also a prerequisite to compete for teaching post in the Government Medical Colleges.
 Giving details about the importance of pursing Registrarship course, he said it is vital training for a doctor to become consultant as he has to attend casualty, to run OPD, emergency services,   look after departmental activities, teach under graduate and Post graduate students and to do research work on a particular subject. 
 Sources alleged that such type of problem was taking place for the past three years,   since the twin wings of the department were put under two ministers.
  Earlier such problem was never seen and exhibits the ego clash of two ministers to show their supremacy at the expense of the carrier of new doctors and the welfare of patients.
 The height of discrimination with doctors can be gauged by the fact that the aspirants who had done their MBBS from private institutions and fulfill all prerequisite qualifications are not allowed to apply for the Registrarship.
 The government neither gives an opportunity to aspirants who have done their MBBS from GMCs nor those coming from private medical institutions, this attitude is creating dearth of specialised doctors in GMC Hospital Jammu, sources alleged.
 They disclosed that the emergency services in GMC Hospital Jammu are running only with the help of Post Graduate Students and Under Graduate Students with hardly   any specialized doctor in place.
 Sources said the state government had advertised posts for Registrarship in February 2012 for various departments, including Anesthetic, Medicine, Cardiology, Pediatrics, Orthopedic, Pharmacology, Physiology, Anatomy, Pathology, Forensic Medicines.
 More than 100 doctors applied for the posts and many of them did not get NOC from heath department as a result of which the valuable time of doctors was wasted   dampening the spirit of the medicos.
 Despite the fact that many senior doctors retired form their services and positions are laying vacant, nobody seems to be serious to sort out this crisis. If situation remains same soon major heath institution had to face crisis like situation, sources claimed. 
 When contacted, director Heath Services, Dr Madhu Khullar said “We have never stopped any doctor who have completed at least two years physical service in periphery as per the norms”
 “We had objections in those cases wherein doctors in service in periphery go for their PG studies as it directly affects the functioning of health sector. Moreover, to pursue Registrarship is right of a doctor only when he fulfills all requisites   particularly two years of service in health department, once he competes it, we cannot stop him  to apply for the course,”  she added..

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST