Srinagar: SKIMS resident doctors continued with their strike for the third consecutive day on Wednesday demanding reinstatement of Director SKIMS, Dr A G Ahanger. Due to the strike, patient care seems to have witnessed a huge hit with government busy in sorting out administrative matters.

The OPD section at SKIMS which usually witnessed a huge rush, Wednesday wore a deserted look, with many patient seen coming out of hospital, dejected with no doctor available for their routine checkups at different clinics.

SKIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) on Monday went on a strike demanding reinstatement of its Director, who was attached by the government to General Administration Department (GAD), with suspending three faculty members, after it came to the fore that they (faculty members) were indulging in private practice even after drawing Non-Practicing Allowances (NPA).

As of now, the RDA seems not to be in a mood of calling the strike off, and has stuck to its demand of reinstating the Director SKIMS, who, as per RDA, had time and again warned all the faculty members against resorting to private practice.

As per sources, RDA representatives Wednesday had a meeting with the faculty members and Additional Directors, SKIMS, wherein, they (RDA) again asked them to convey to the government that the director SKIMS should be reinstated with immediate effect.

“They conveyed to them that if the sacking of Director was in pretext of private practice that the three faculty members, who were suspended, were involved in, then he (Director) should be reinstated immediately, as he had got no role to play in that,” insiders informed.

The second point that the representatives of RDA put forth, as per sources, is that if the director has got some other serious allegations against him, then the government should come clean on this and issue a statement in this regard.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, the government in an order appointed three interim heads after the existing heads were suspended till further orders. With experts saying that the government is turning a blind eye towards the hit that the patient care is currently going on, and is rather completely focused on administrative matters.

The govt order vide number: 2-SKIMS OF 2018, orders the appointment of Prof Pervaiz Ahmad Kaul, General Medicine, as In charge HOD Neurology. Prof Nisar A. Chowdhary, as In charge HOD General Surgery and Bashir Ahmad Charoo, as Incharge HOD Neonatology & Paediatrics.

The order stands approved by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is also Chairman of the Governing Body, SKIMS.

As of now, Pavan Kotwal, Principal Secretary to Government, Health & Medical Education, continues with the additional charge of Director SKIMS and what seems to be suffering badly is the patient care alone.

Guest