HEALTH DEPT FALLS ‘SICK’ In Absence Of Recruitment Rules; Juniors Rule Seniors; Minister Assures Remedy ABID BASHIR Srinagar, July 9: Jammu and Kashmir may have received the ‘best state award’ in health sector, but was the Health department fit enough for the honour? The ground reports don’t suggest so. In absence of recruitment rules, the Health department authorities have made a mockery of seniority list of doctors serving in the State, making many junior medicos rule the roost over seniors. Official documents regarding promotions and transfers made in the Health department reveal how a junior medico, who figures at serial no 1035 in the seniority list, has been promoted to a coveted position far ahead of his seniors. He is not the lone case. As per the documents available with Greater Kashmir, a doctor who figures in the seniority at No 1035 is holding an important position in a prestigious Srinagar hospital, which is equivalent to a Medical Superintendent. “He too has been promoted way ahead of his seniors,” sources said. Interestingly, the original post of Medical Superintendent in the same hospital has been kept vacant so that the person could be accommodated silently, sources said. The ‘pick and choose’ policy in the Health department doesn’t end here. A medico, who is serving as the deputy medical superintendent at district hospital Baramulla figures at number 1153 in the seniority list. “He too has bypassed many of his seniors,” sources said. In another glaring example, another medico who figures at number 1593 has been promoted as State Nodal Officer, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). “In his case, no criteria have been followed at all,” official sources said. Dozens of doctors who have more than 15 years of service in the department continue to serve as Block Medical Officers (BMOs). Ironically, the medicos who figure after serial number 1500 also serve as BMOs. “How is it possible that a person who figures at 200 serial, which means the person is super senior, continues to be a BMO and and the person who figures at 1500 is also a BMO?” sources said. Sources in the health department said over the past 22 years, the officers have been promoted without any justification. “All such promotions took place in violation of set guidelines,” they said. “This became the main reason why health services in Kashmir are so poor. Authorities have played with the career of doctors by promoting those who didn’t deserve it.” Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmed Khan admitted that there may be some shortcomings as far as recruitment and promotions in the Health department are concerned. “My department has for the first time framed strict recruitment and promotion rules. We had sent the file to General Administration Department (GAD) where from it was transferred to the Law department,” the Minister said. He said there is no compulsion to get the Cabinet nod for the new guidelines. “Once I will get the Law department’s nod, I will issue directions to Directors of Kashmir and Jammu regions to implement the new rules,” Khan said. He said once the new rules would be followed, the vacuum would be filled. The Doctors Association Kashmir, however, expressed its deep resentment over framing of new rules. “Where are the new rules? No doctor was consulted before finalizing them,” said a DAK member, wishing anonymity. “It is the health department where such discriminations galore. In other departments, there is a set procedure for promotions. We want rules to be put on the website for a public debate. Doctors Association should be taken on board.”
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 17:30:41 +0000
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