DAK demands end to ‘elite practice’
Calling for an end to winter vacation of senior doctors in tertiary care hospitals, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that this practice leaves patients to suffer severely.
Terming the practice unethical President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement said that holidays for senior doctors leave patients in lurch.
“Patient care is worst hit and patients face immense hardships during holiday time of doctors,” Dr Hassan in a statement issued here said.“Every year faculty of referral hospitals go for two months winter vacation leaving patients to fend for themselves,” he added.
Despite huge inconvenience faced by public due to dire shortage of doctors in hospitals, senior doctors are allowed for winter vacation.
“It is ironical that faculty of premier hospitals are allowed to leave at a time when their services are needed most,” he said
Patients are left to die due to non-availability of senior doctors during harsh winter when Kashmir remains cut-off from rest of the world.
Hundreds of patients, every day turn up at these hospitals from far flung areas only to be told that senior doctors are on leave.
These hospitals in absence of senior doctors are run by junior doctors who find it difficult to cope with the rush of patients and are unable to handle complicated cases.
The number of general and emergency patients attending hospitals increase in winter and they end up being seen by trainees as senior doctors are enjoying their holidays.
Procedures are delayed and planned surgeries are not held in winter.
The teaching of undergraduates and postgraduates is halted and research projects are adversely affected in absence of faculty.
The health care in valley’s premier hospitals collapses and patient care comes to a standstill in winter due to holidays for doctors.
