BJP MLA from Nowshera-Sunderbani highlighted the health related issues in Assembly. Taking part in the discussion during the question hour, Raina said there is severe shortage of doctors in the State and particular in Sub district hospital Nowshera and Sunderbani. He said both the hospitals not only serves the patients of his constituency but the patients from the adjoining areas of the neighbouring Constituencies like Kalakote, Rajouri, Chamb, Akhnoor and Reasi usually get treatment these two hospital since long as the people have very high trust on SDH Nowshera and SDH Sunderbani but at present due to the shortage of the doctors against the sanction posts; both the hospitals are in miserable condition. Discussing his starred question, AQ No:-531 in Assembly Raina said the doctors posted in rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir are leaving their rural posting through deputations for government medical colleges based in J&K cities due to which the situation in rural health centres (PHC’s) and Sub-district hospitals in towns like Sunderbani and Nowshera has reached at a “bleeding point” and asked the government to take all necessary measures to get out of this crisis. He asked the minister to ensure the early release of the proposed cost for SDH Nowshera which is Rs.15 Crore 78 lacs and for SDH Sunderbani Rs. 16 Crore 99 Lacs so that the upgradation of both the hospitals may be completed at the earliest. Raina further said the PHC’’s such as in Lamberi Siot, Seri, Laroka, Langer are in dying condition, he accuses the previous NC-Congress government for the present mess in the Health & The Medical Education department and said its now our responsibility to bring the department out mess and deliver. Raina also put the demand of “Truma Hospital” in Sunderbani which was sanctioned earlier but shifted from Sunderbani by the political bosses of the previous government. Replying to Ravinder Raina, Minister for Health and Medical Sciences Bali Bhagat said there is severe shortage of doctors in the department which created problems across the state, he further said the vacant posts of doctors have been referred to the recruiting agencies for making selections and shall be filled up as soon as the selection list is received. However, additional man power has been provided under NHM AT Sunderbani and Nowshera Hospitals. He assured the MLA that all funds shall be released for the upgradation of SDH Sunderbani and SDH Nowshera. Speaking on “Truma Hospital” Minister said the proposal for establishment of Truma Hospital at Sunderbani is submitted to the Ministry of Health & Family welfare, Government of India for approval and shall consider Sunderbani on priority. Raising the supplementary question in the house after the minister reply, Raina said “in the health department, 10 per cent deputation is allowed to serve as registers, PGs and assistant surgeons in Medical Colleges based in Srinagar and Jammu, however, there is a long list of doctors of the health department who are in government medical colleges, leaving the Sub-district hospitals and primary health centres in rural areas without doctors. He said against sanctioned strength of Incidentally, those among the doctors, who have gone for deputation for higher education, have not returned to the health department even after completing their PGs. “After getting selected as assistant surgeon in the health department to serve in rural areas, doctors usually apply for PG courses and move to the medical colleges. It is their right,but when they pursue courses like MCh, DM, etc, they should either declare their post in rural areas vacant or they should give in writing they will serve in rural areas once they complete the degree and accuse that they don’t do anything, leaving rural areas without doctors for long and also blocking the post in the rural areas, which is the root cause of all the problems, he said. Raina appreciated the working of the Health Minister and said that e have full faith in Bali Bhagat Ji, who will surely improve the condition of dying health department. Minister at the end assured him that he take all appropriate steps to check such types of practices.
