GMC students run SMHS Hospital in Srinagar

Seniors spend more time at clinics, death rate on rise

Kashmir’s most visited hospital, SMHS, is fast losing its sheen as complaints about senior doctors leaving the patients at the mercy of the Government Medical College (GMC) students have been pouring in continuously. However, the frequent pleas to put system on track have fallen flat on the deaf ears.
Sources told that senior doctors visit the hospital in the morning for rounds and “disappear” leaving the burden to handle the hospital on junior doctors, mostly GMC students, who are doing MBBS from there. “SMHS hospital has turned into training centre for the students where they apply hit and trial method to treat the patients,” sources claimed.
“Many patients die because they do not get proper treatment on time. These deaths are passed as natural deaths but the fact is that these patients die due to alleged negligence of senior doctors, who spend more time in their private clinics than in the hospital,” they added.
Insiders revealed that people holding the top posts in the SMHS hospital are busy in appeasing the politicians to ensure that they don’t lose their jobs. “Lack of accountability among doctors and administration not paying much heed how medicos are handling their respective wards has added to the confusion. The entire hospital has been politicized due to which a few people are calling shots as per their will and liking,” they added.
Earlier this month a delegation of a few doctors had called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar and had apprised her about the problems being faced by the patients in the hospital.
Sources said the PDP president has taken a serious note about the complaints which are pouring in and has reportedly asked her close lieutenants to monitor the functioning the hospital and submit a detailed report to her.
Insiders revealed that Government is not imposing a ban on private practice has emboldened the doctors working in Government Medical College (GMC) and its associated hospitals. “Even if government wants to allow the doctors to carry on with their private practice it should ensure that they do justice with their government jobs and spend enough time in the hospital,” they said.
A senior doctor while talking to us said, “Blaming doctors only for the mess is not fair. Why don’t you highlight the shortcomings of the administration? Doctors too are human beings they too have needs. There is no harm in them earning a few extra bucks at their clinics.”
“If government wants doctors to remain available 24×7 then it should provide them with all the facilities,” he added.
Sources said that patients visiting the SMHS hospital during night hours face many hardships. “Absence of senior doctors during night hours leads to many eventualities which go unreported and are passed as normal deaths,” they added.
Many machines which were damaged during 2014 floods, according to the sources, have not been made functional yet or replaced and patients are forced to pay through their nose to get the tests done from private laboratories. “Hundreds of people visit the SMHS everyday and scores referred from various district headquarters but the fact is the hospital sans facilities which are needed for the treatment of the patients. Due to lack of equipments and proper facilities many patients develop complications but nobody seems interested in addressing these vital issues,” said an insider.