Residents rue staff shortage at SDH Kreeri

Baramulla, Aug 05: Struggling with the dearth of staff, the new order of the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir transferring an ophthalmologist without replacement has drawn flak from the residents of Kreeri and its adjoining village.

While expressing resentment over the new order which will turn the ophthalmology section of the hospital purposeless, the concerned residents said that leaving the ophthalmology post vacant will be a huge blow to scores of patients of the area.

“The order will severely dent the aspirations of the hundreds of patients of the area,” said Farooq Ahmad, a resident of Kreeri. “The ophthalmology section of the SDH Kreeri was catering to scores of patients, mostly from far flung areas. The order will add hardships to such patients,” added Farooq.

The Directorate of Health Services Kashmir recently issued an order vide no Est-3/1-33/3700-06 dated 01-08-2024 ordering consultant ophthalmologist, from block Kreeri to report at District Hospital Bandipora, relieving him from the place of posting.

The Sub District Hospital Kreeri caters to a vast area of the Kandi belt of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The hospital is already struggling with the dearth of doctors and the paramedical staff as such the new order relieving ophthalmologists from the hospital will further widen the doctor patient ratio gap in the hospital.

As per hospital records, the SDH Kreeri is severely facing shortage of 5 medical officers which include 2 medical officers, 1 consultant paediatrician, an orthopaedics and a physician. Besides, there are 17 posts of paramedics lying vacant, which include 2 posts Sr grade nurses, 2 junior grade nurses, 3 junior anaesthesia technicians, 2 junior theatre technicians, 1 each junior ophthalmic and lab technicians, 2 senior pharmacists, 1 each health educator and sup pharmacist besides 1 each head technician and Supervisor X-ray technician.

With one more post of ophthalmologist being left vacant, the hospital’s performance is likely to get affected with the result the rural health especially of the Kandi block of Baramulla district will be severely impacted.

Muhammad Afzal, a local resident of Kreeri, while castigating the fresh directive from the Directorate Health Services said that instead of empowering the hospital with more staff, the authorities are further weakening the healthcare system of the hospital.

He said dearth of the staff at the SDH Kreeri is a major issue for the residents of this area, and authorities should not relieve medical officers without a replacement.

“The fresh order of DHS has disappointed people of this area. They need to revisit the order,” said Muhammad Afzal.