Orders probe; locals stage protest, demand complete reshuffle
By: Ahmad Shabir
Anantnag: Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather Tuesday suspended four doctors and constituted an inquiry team to probe the death of a government employee at District Hospital Pulwama on Monday.
A class-IV government employee Mohammad Hussain Hafiz suffered a heart attack on Monday and was immediately taken to DH Pulwama. Hussain, later was declared dead by the doctors.
His attendants, however, alleged that the treatment to the deceased employee was delayed due to the absence of doctors in the hospital, who later staged a protest in the hospital premises.
Relatives of the deceased accompanied by scores of traders of the town on Tuesday again held a protest against the death of the employee due to alleged absence of doctors.
Protesters alleged that the monopoly of doctors posted in the hospital has messed the healthcare at the facility completely.
“Most of the doctors posted at the hospital spend most of the time at private clinics. They force the patients to get the surgeries done at private hospitals. Many doctors at the hospital have not been shifted from the last six to eight years as a result of which lobbyism rules the roost at the facility,” locals alleged.
“We want a complete reshuffle in the hospital and only then can we expect improvement in the healthcare here,” the protesters said.
Following the protest, Director Health Services Kashmir, placed four doctors under suspension till pending inquiry.
“Pending inquiry into the death of a patient at district hospital Pulwama, four doctors are placed under suspension with immediate effect,” the order issued by DHSK reads.
The suspended doctors as per the order include Dr Hilal Ahmad, Atfer Nadir, Dr Ashraf and Dr Gulzar.
In separate order, DHSK ordered constituting a committee at divisional level to probe the matter. The inquiry team has been asked to submit the factual report within two days.
