Srinagar: With Kashmir’s healthcare system already grappling with performance crisis, the number of Anaesthetists and Surgeons available at present in Kashmir Division is once again painting a worrying picture as only 58 Anaesthetists and 59 Surgeons are available to cater to the needs of entire population of 9 districts in peripheries.

Data in possession of ‘Kashmir Vision’ revealed that against 73 sanctioned posts for Anaesthetists, only 58 are in-position and rest of 15 posts are still lying vacant.

A similar situation, as per the data, was observed in case of surgeons, in which against 73 sanctioned posts only 59 are in-position and 14 posts are, in this case as well, lying vacant.

The data says that excluding Leh, Kargil and Srinagar districts, only 9 consultants are available for districts of Kashmir Division which includes: Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Kupwara, Pulwama and Shopian.

According to cumulative work done, the statement available on the website of Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, total number of major surgeries conducted in the peripheries excluding Leh, Kargil and Srinagar, in the month of November this year is 3516.   The number of minor surgeries conducted in peripheries during the same period is 26053, and it all is happening in the total availability of 58 Anaesthetists and 59 surgeons.

A little processing of data broadens the entire picture: the available manpower of Surgeons performed 60 major surgeries per surgeon in November this year in peripheries and 441 minor surgeries per surgeon in the same period—which is way beyond the set international standards in both the cases.

Notably, the population of these 9 districts, as per 2011 census was 5657449, and the total number of 59 Surgeons, and 58 Anaesthetists are currently catering to their needs in peripheries, depicting a sorry state of affairs in the health care system.

Given the workload that the hospitals in peripheries are facing, the experts say that there is a higher possibility of medical negligence’s and other issues that might occur at the hospitals.

“The number of posts for consultant surgeons is already less, with number of posts still lying vacant out of those that have been created,” sources said.

There is a need for creation of additional posts for such specialities in peripheries to make the peripheral healthcare system more efficient, sources added.

As this newspaper has been consistently reporting about the dearth of manpower in health sector, sources are revealing that a similar sort of picture is true for the rest of the specialities in peripheries.

“More or less all the specialities are facing the same situation where a dearth of consultants given the colossal population that they are meant to cater, has emerged,” sources said.

Earlier, ‘Kashmir Vision’ reported that only 52 Consultant Gynaecologists were available in the entire Kashmir Division, left to cater to the needs of around 5657449 souls.  The data used in the reported news story had revealed that there are total 77 sanctioned posts for Consultant Gynaecologists in Kashmir Division, in which only 52 were currently in position and 25 posts were still lying vacant.

Guest