Shortage of specialist doctors in Kulgam: NC spokesman calls for upgrade, affiliation with GMC Anantnag
Kulgam, Feb 7: As the shortage of doctors and paramedics at Kulgam district hospital continues to cripple healthcare services in this south Kashmir district, the ruling National Conference (NC) state spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, has called for immediate upgrades to the facility.
He has also urged Health Minister Sakeena Itoo to consider affiliating the hospital with Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag.
During his visit to the hospital, Dar expressed grave concern over the lack of doctors and paramedics. “State spokesperson and In-charge Kulgam, Imran Dar today visited DH Kulgam and expressed concern about the unavailability of doctors and shortage of paramedic staff there. To address these issues, Imran has already spoken to the Health Minister , seeking her immediate intervention to upgrade the hospital's facilities. He requested the Minister that the hospital be affiliated with GMC Anantnag as its associate hospital,” NC wrote on its official twitter handle. Greater Kashmir has repeatedly carried stories on the ailing healthcare services of the hospital. Dar acknowledged the problem saying he has sought the intervention of the Health Minister and expects a positive response.
"This hospital caters to a population of 4.5 lakh, yet it suffers from severe manpower shortages and lacks essential facilities. Upgrading it would ensure the availability of specialty and super-specialty services,” he added.
He demanded the creation of additional posts for specialist doctors and paramedics, along with filling existing sanctioned vacancies. “ I am hopeful that the demands of the people would be fulfilled at the earliest,” Dar said. Despite being upgraded to a district hospital in 2007, Kulgam hospital still functions with the staff and resources of a sub-district hospital. "Only the name changed from Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Kulgam to District Hospital (DH) Kulgam, but the staff strength remains the same," an official said. He said out of the 32 sanctioned doctor posts, only 13 are consultant specialists and 19 are medical officers.
Two senior consultant specialist posts remain vacant.
Medical officers from all other blocks of the district are temporarily deployed to compensate for the shortfall. The gynecology department, run by two consultants, two medical officers, and two National Health Mission (NHM) doctors, faces operational challenges.
Night-time caesarean surgeries are rarely conducted, forcing pregnant women to travel to Anantnag Maternity Hospital or other city hospitals.
The surgery department also suffers from inadequate staffing, with only a single consultant, a junior consultant, and three temporarily assigned medical officers managing its operations.
Emergency surgeries and accident cases between 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. are routinely referred elsewhere. The orthopedic department has only one sanctioned consultant post, limiting its ability to handle trauma cases. The ENT department is also strained, with its lone consultant post vacant and managed by two medical officers.
The ophthalmology department functions with just one consultant and a medical officer originally posted in another block. Similarly, pediatric services are compromised, with a single consultant pediatrician supported by a few medical officers, affecting child healthcare.
Despite having modern diagnostic tools like USG and CT scans, the hospital lacks a specialist radiologist.
A lone medical officer manages the radiology department, and ultrasounds are not conducted after 4 pm, forcing pregnant women to seek scans at private clinics. The psychiatry department is also understaffed, with only one medical officer with specialization in psychiatry managing the unit as the sanctioned consultant post remains vacant. The hospital also faces a shortage of dental surgeons, while paramedic staff remains inadequate.
Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Gani Raina acknowledged the acute staffing shortages. "We have taken up the matter with the Directorate of Health and expect a positive response," he said. He said that every possible effort is being made to optimize available resources to ensure patient care does not suffer. "We are even utilising the services of DNB students," he said.
