Srinagar, Aug 10 (KNS): Even as the government makes tall claims of streamlining the rural health care, it has failed to put a check on the erring medicos for not attending the duties in the rural Kashmir.
KNS has learnt that a medico has been missing from his duties in Ganderbal district since a long time in putting the health care in real shambles.
Dr Zahid Safdar has been posted in PHC Safapora but locals allege that they have never seen the medical officer in the PHC putting a question mark on the accountability in the system. The shocking absence of the doctor has come to fore at a time when government has introduced the bio metric attendance system to ensure error free attendance of the employees. However this system too seems to have failed to track the doctor who is missing from so many months all together. Locals have urged Director General Health Services to look into the matter.
Chief Medical Officer Ganderbal Dr Kasana told KNS that the said doctor is the board member and is attending CMO office for one day every week. He said the rest of the days he is supposed to be at his own place of posting. The CMO however said that he will verify the matter on Monday.
The medico, Dr Zahid Safdar however ridiculed the allegations and said that he has never been absent unauthorisedly from the hospital and is attending his duties regularly. He told KNS that barring one day when he is attending the CMO office Ganderbal he remains in hospital throughout the week.
Director General Health Services Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman told KNS that a strict action will be taken against the erring doctor. He said a report will be sought from the CMO Ganderbal.
Meanwhile, the patients on Friday staged protests against the health department following the frequent absence of the doctor. Reports said that patients who had queued since morning tore away the blank prescriptions after the said doctor didn’t turn up for his duties. (KNS)