By: Afaq Bhat
Srinagar: The second wave of COVID-19 has created ripples in Kashmir. The authorities are urging people to visit the nearest vaccination centers and get a jab.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Aijaz Asad, while reacting to the surge in Covid cases tweeted: “Last year, this day we were fighting without vaccine! By now, 80 Covid vaccination centres have been set up in the (Srinagar) district. Please visit your nearest centre to take the jab & let’s fight from the position of strength.”
Even the doctors and experts are asking people to get themselves vaccinated. But the big question which everyone seems to be asking is that whether the vaccines are effective against the new variant or not?
Wire agency IANS on Wednesday reported that a successful doctor couple in their 60s, in Lucknow, received both doses of Covid vaccine last month and after that they resumed private practice at their clinic. But to their horror, both of them were found Covid positive again.
They were not alone as news emerged from Lucknow that at least 40 doctors of King George’s Medical University (KGMU), including Vice Chancellor Lt Gen (retd) Vipin Puri, have tested positive for novel coronavirus, despite most of them taking both the doses of the vaccine.
Experts are of the opinion that the COVID-19 variant has mutated and genetic testing is needed to study behavior of the virus. Most people associated with the medical profession are of the firm belief that vaccines are the only potent weapon to develop herd immunity and fight the pestilence.  “When vaccines were introduced people were reluctant as misconceptions had been created about the possible side effects. But during all these months, people who got vaccinated did not complain about any side effects. Now, more and more people are coming forward to get a COVID-19 jab. It’s a good sign,” said a medico.
He said, “Cases about people testing Covid positive after receiving the vaccines have come to fore but the number has not been that high. The COVID-19 sops need to be followed even after getting vaccinated as the virus is just one year old and it will take some more time to eradicate it completely. People who catch COVID even after getting vaccinated have higher chances of survival. This fact cannot be discounted. Ones who are claiming that the jabs are not working are creating a wrong notion. We are in a much better position than last year.”

By: Ahmad Shabir
Anantnag: At Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, it is doctors versus doctors since the day the institution has started functioning.
From last one week the divide has widened. The divide between the doctors can be guessed from the fact that medicos from Health Department and ones from Health and Medical Education (HME) have formed two associations in the same hospital.

The first association named Medical Faculty Association (MFA), GMC Anantnag was formed last by the doctors recruited as assistant professors by the HME.
Sources in the college said that the formation of association by the doctors from HME  did not go well with the doctors from Health Department for the reasons that the former did not include even the single senior most doctor.

However, a few days back , the doctors and para-medics from Health Department posted the Medical College also came up with a separate association and named it as health employees association GMC hospital Anantnag to fight what they termed as “ill treatment” on part of GMC authorities and some top doctors from HME working in the medical college.

Spokesperson of the Health Employees Association GMC Anantnag, Dr Owais H Dar said that doctors from DHSK working in the medical college are being ignored and ill treated by both the GMC authorities including some top doctors from HME.

“To fight this ill treatment we decided to come up with a separate association. Despite working tirelessly even the seniors doctors from Health Department working in the Medical College are being completely ignored and looked down upon,” Dr Owais said.

He cited the example of the recently held hospital council meeting by the GMC authorities in which not a single doctor from the Health Department, not even senior consultants were invited.

HEAGMC Anantnag  Dr Owais said, will soon show its strength to convey a message to the GMC authorities.

The GMC Anantnag is jointly run by the doctors from HME and DHSK. More than 50 percent of doctors working in the hospital, according to officials, are from Health Department while as almost all the para-medical staff working in the GMC associated hospital is also from Health Department.

General secretary of the association and a senior dental surgeon, Dr Adil Wani seconded Dr Owais saying ,”Doctors from Health Department working in the medical college hospital are being ignored to the hilt,”.

“Even A grade consultants from Health Department working in the hospital for ten years are not taken into confidence by the GMC authorities,” Dr  Wani said.

“Not all are same. There are some HODs who posses healing touch. They treat everyone equally but there are others who consider themselves as supreme. Though this was going on in the hospital since the day one but now enough is enough. We are not going to tolerate this anymore,” Dr Wani said.

He said that doctors from Health Department during of peak of COVID-19 last year were even denied their earned leaves and APs were allowed to go on vacations. “Is not this discrimination?” he questioned.

Principal, GMC , Anantnag, Dr Showkat Jeelani said that there is nothing wrong in forming an association but denied that there is any discrimination against any doctors.
He, however , said that if they have any issues or grievances they should convey it through their seniors.