JKDCC for specialized training courses for medical officers

Srinagar: With the state of Jammu and Kashmir facing acute shortage of specialized medicos in healthcare system, the order issued by the health department Rajasthan can come to the rescue of the state in minimizing the crisis of specialists.

The order issued by Director Medical and Health Services, Rajasthan comes with a novel idea of training existing MBBS doctors in different specialities for one year, in order to equip them with the skills so that they can attend to the cases at their respective places, and help in the utilization of infrastructure developed.

“As directed, it is stated that Medical & Health Services Department is facing acute shortage of specialized man power and to ensure optimum utilization of infrastructure developed and also to provide specialized health care facilities to the greater section of population, it is decided to start One Year Certificate Course in various specialities,” order vide-number: Gazetted/ DPC/C.Course/2014/972 reads, a copy of which is lying with ‘Kashmir Vision’.

The order issued in the year 2014, is being followed in letter and spirit with many states including Maharashtra also mulling to implement the same.

Doctor’s body, Jammu and Kashmir Doctors Coordination Committee (JKDCC)—an amalgam of various medico associations in the state—has been pitching for similar arrangement in the state as well, where huge infrastructure has been created.

“What is lacking is the specialized man power stationed at different healthcare facilities, especially in peripheries,” a senior member of the JKDCC said.

Currently, due to the absence of specialized man power in the peripheries, it is considerably decreasing the output of healthcare facilities, with 4 out of 10 cases being referred to the tertiary healthcare in Srinagar, burdening the central system beyond its set capacity.

The medicos are hopeful that if the system, as that of Rajasthan is put in place, it will eventually add to the output of peripheral system, and also can decrease the rate of referrals to Srinagar.

“The system, if put in place will help in training medicos in various specialities, with the result they can attend to all those cases which they right now refer to Srinagar—in case of any complications, they can refer them, but mostly, they will be taken care at their respective facility,” said Dr Mir Mushtaq, Spokesperson, JKDCC and Senior Executive Member, Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK). 

The order issued by the department of health services in Rajasthan, lists seven specialized areas, where it has ordered that MBBS doctors should be specialized in Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Anesthesia, Orthopaedics, Radio Diagnosis, Emergency Medicine and General Surgery.

As reported earlier by ‘Kashmir Vision’, the state health care is already painting a grim picture in case of Pediatrics, where there is inadequate number of specialized medicos, especially in peripheries.

The order, also states that those who are having at least 10 years service remaining for their retirement can apply for the certificate course in mentioned specialities, which indicates the long term requirements of such services from in-service medicos. The novel step taken by the Health Department of Rajasthan is reported to have worked well in the state, with 20 percent decrease in the referral rates from peripheries to the tertiary healthcare.

 

 

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