Health Minister condemns doctors’ strike
Srinagar, Jul 25: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakina Itoo, visited SMHS Hospital in Srinagar on Friday to take stock of the patient services following the recent incidents of an assault, strike, and disruption of facilities.
The Health Minister condemned the strike, terming the closure of essential services and emergency wards “unjustified” and “unacceptable”.
She said that she acknowledged the difficulties faced by the doctors and condemned the assault on one of them.
However, I too used strong words for the course of redressal that doctors took.
Speaking to media persons during her visit, she said, “The assault is deeply unfortunate and should not have occurred, but patient care must not be compromised. If someone has committed a crime, there are rules and laws for that, and action will be taken accordingly. But shutting down hospital services and denying care to patients is not tolerable.”
The Health Minister highlighted the plight of patients who could not avail the emergency at SMHS Hospital and were “left unattended or forced to seek treatment elsewhere”.
“I visited SKIMS JVC Hospital on Wednesday and saw the rush of patients there, because they could not avail treatment at SMHS,” she said.
Itoo announced that an inquiry would ascertain details about the incident and subsequent disruption of services.
She assured strict action against anyone found guilty, including doctors who abandoned their duties. “No one will be spared if found negligent,” the Health Minister said.
She said that an order was in the offing, mandating all doctors to wear aprons with a visible “Doctor” sticker and nameplate indicating their speciality.
“This is in the direction of a better, clearer identification and improvement of patient trust.
Additionally, there is a plan to establish a formal grievance cell at the secretariat level for patients and medical professionals,” Itoo said.
She said this would smooth the process of registering complaints and help in strengthening the healthcare system’s responsiveness.
The Health Minister also spoke about the issues of medical negligence, stating that “inquiries are initiated in such cases, and guilty doctors face legal consequences”.
She called upon the people to desist from violence against healthcare workers. “Hospitals are places of healing, not conflict,” Itoo said. “Doctors are our brothers and sisters, but they must maintain professional conduct. Patients place their hopes in them after Allah, but carelessness is unacceptable.”
Itoo’s remarks come amidst the growing concerns like overcrowding, staff shortages, and inadequate infrastructure in hospitals, putting the delivery of healthcare in jeopardy.
