The border area of Gurez in north Kashmir is facing acute shortage of doctors, which has forced district administration Bandipora to try and reach out to doctors ready to work in border area of north Kashmir.
On Monday deputy commissioner Bandipora, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary, took to social media platform to seek out doctors ready to work in Gurez. “Gurez is facing acute shortage of doctors. Looking for MBBS docs (doctors) volunteering to serve here” tweeted Chaudhary.
He said the tweet was a “desperate attempt” to address chronic dearth of doctors in Gurez which is grossly affecting patient care there.
As per officials of directorate of health services Kashmir (DHSK), the biggest hospital in Gurez – sub-district hospital (SDH) Gurez has just four allopathic doctors posted there.
There is no specialist doctors posted in the hospital which is supposed to provide round the clock services like maternity, pediatric, surgery and physician. The shortage is omnipresent across the region. Out of seven Public Health Centers (PHCs) in Gurez, six of them do not have a single doctor.
There is not a single gynaecologist or pediatrician in entire Gurez block, forcing people a travel at least 70 km on a rough mountainous terrain to nearest health facility.
Earlier this year, DHSK had issued order for posting of seven doctors in Gurez. However, all of these doctors, originally residents of the area, did not join. A source in health department said that the non-joining of doctors at postings located in remote areas was persistent and biggest impediment in delivery of healthcare in rural areas.
“They (doctors) get their posting order stayed in court, or get some kind of relief using some intervention of some politicians and bureaucrats,” the source said.
An official said despite clear-cut policies on posting and transfer of doctors, the directorate, in spite of its repeated attempts, is struggling to implement this policy and ensure presence of doctors in all areas where needed.
The DC Bandipora said multiple communications had been sent to health department to seek doctors for Gurez but to no avail. He said it was this “unending wait” that pushed him to take to social media which has received “good response”.
“We have received over 70 applications from doctors willing to serve in Gurez at a salary of Rs 65,000, a little higher than what health department is paying,” he said.
He added that provisions were being put in place to ensure that Gurez, which remains cut off from rest of Kashmir for six months in winters, has required strength of doctors.
Director general health services Dr Saleem ur Rehman agreed that there was shortage of doctors in Gurez. “We have addressed, and will continue to address this shortage,” he said, but refused to comment further.