Peerzada Sayeed

Karnah (KNS): The dearth of staff at Sub-district Hospital Tangdar in North Kashmir's Kupwara district is hampering patient care and forcing the patients to cover the long-distance for treatment.

Talking to Kashmir news service (KNS), that the locals alleged that in absence of the required staff they are forced to visit other hospitals for treatment. 

As per the details available with this correspondent, there are 27 sanctioned posts of Medical Officers in the Medical block but the tragic story is that 15 posts are lying vacant for years together, although assurances are given very off and on to fill the posts but those assurances fall flat.

As per Sources there are 118 posts of paramedics in the medical block karnah 65 are in position and the rest are lying vacant while the tale does not end here there are  4 NHM posts 2 still lying vacant.  

The other side of the tale is that doctors working in this health care centre are ultra-burdened with workload 'since' the doctors to population ratio is 1:7000. 

The dearth of basic facilities like living quarters as well as incentives to the cream of the society viz doctors also multiplies to their sufferings and inflictions. 

On the contrary, Incentives which were accorded to regular doctors @8000 per month serving in this subdivision Karnah has been stopped by  NHM authorities for the reason known best to them.

The same incentive is being paid to regular doctors serving in other sectors like Kargil.

Besides poor and unclear transfer policy of no transfer for 5 years, new appointees getting chance near home towns and old being kept to rot at peripheries has dissuaded a number of doctors from joining in block karnah.

Again nothing is being done to attract doctors to work in such a difficult area. As of now, it seems like government neither cares about the public of karnah nor well being of its health employees.

Meanwhile, the locals of the area appealed to the LG administration and Deputy Commissioner Kupwara to personally look into the matter and help resolve their grievances-(KNS).