Jammu, July 24: About 150 specialist doctors serving in the state hospitals have left their jobs or have been terminated by the government after they joined private health sector within and outside the country.
 The massive brain drain was prompted by the greener pastures with high end lifestyle available for the medical professionals outside the state and country.
 Sources informed Greater Kashmir that during last three years about 150 doctors having specialisation in  various streams were terminated by the Jammu and Kashmir Health Services Department for  remaining absent for several  years .
  “Most of the doctors were terminated   after they remained absent from their services for several years without giving any reason to the department” sources said, adding that the concerned authorities after serving them several ultimatums ultimately terminated their services.
 These doctors, they said, have shifted to other states or gone aboard and started practice in private hospitals without informing the department. “Among these terminated doctors, majority are from Kashmir region, who have shifted to   western or middle east countries. Some specialist doctors from state have also joined private hospital in other states of country due to huge variation in monthly salary here and their” they said.
 A doctor on the condition of anonymity said, a new doctor who joins Health Services department in J&K gets around Rs. 22,000 per month but same doctors gets more than Rs. 50,000 in a private hospital in other states. “A senior doctor gets salary in Lakhs in private hospitals of other states so they have been moving to other states since last many years. The demand of medical professionals in middle east countries is very high so attracted by huge salary along with perks and other facilities many doctors from Kashmir valley shifted  to these countries   ” he said.
 Blaming the faulty policies of state government, he further said that the transfer of doctors from their native areas was also responsible for this practice of doctors. “Sometimes a doctor is shifted hundreds of miles from his native area. He prefers to serve in   private hospitals of other states instead of serving in far flung or distant areas” he said.
 He further said that in   last few years the state government has also started giving some more allowances to doctors but the private hospitals have enhanced the incentives much more than government. “Generally high salary, allowances, perks, facilities given by private hospitals, besides professional, research atmosphere encourages doctors of J&K to  join  private hospitals in other states and countries” he said.
 Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma while admitting the termination of about 150 doctors, said that they were disbanded after the department found these doctors absent from their duties since long without any valid reason. “In the past, some doctors had been rejoining their services even after spending 10 years in other states or countries, but during past some years the government has taken a tough stand and terminated many doctors” he said.
 To stop this brain drain we are contemplating to bring a legislation to make it mandatory for those who have done MBBS from any government college   to serve in government hospitals for a prescribed time limit.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 24 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST