Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Monday urged the government to end the practice of winter vacation for senior doctors in Kashmir.
“Patients face immense hardships due to long winter break of the senior doctors, including consultants,” DAK President Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said in a statement issued here. “It is ironical that senior doctors and consultants in Kashmir are allowed for holidaying enmasse at a time when their services are needed the most,” he said in the statement. “Come winter, senior doctors abandon their places of work to evade the harsh winter of Kashmir and go on a sojourn within and outside the country.” Dr Hassan said that every year, faculty of referral hospitals goes for two-month winter vacation, leaving patients to fend for themselves.
“The patients are left to die due to non-availability of senior doctors and consultants during harsh winter when Kashmir remains cut-off from rest of the world,” he said in the statement. “Hundreds of patients, every day turn up at these hospitals from far-flung areas only to be told that senior doctors are on leave.”
Dr Hassan said as the doctors go on leave, there is problem in conducting outpatient and inpatient services in hospitals while planned surgeries are cancelled and procedures further delayed. “In absence of senior doctors, hospitals are run by junior doctors who find it difficult to cope with the rush of patients and are unable to handle complicated cases,” he said. Dr Hassan said winter brings more patients to hospitals and they are left uncared as senior doctors and consultants are holidaying.
“The number of heart attacks and strokes doubles in winter and there is increased mortality among these patients due to non-availability of senior doctors and consultants,” he said. “There are increased pneumonia cases and hospitals are flooded with asthmatics and chronic lung disease patients during the winter. There are far more fire-related cases and fair amount of accident cases due to slip or skid on icy streets.” Dr Hassan said that with COVID19 still raging, every day many severely-ill patients related to the virus continue to get admitted in the hospitals.
“Though, this winter SKIMS hospital has cancelled winter vacation for doctors in view of COVID19 crisis, doctors at GMC Srinagar and its associated hospitals are enjoying winter holidays,” he said.