Hard pressed medicos: ‘One doctor caters to three thousand patients in JK’
Srinagar: The health care facilities in the Valley are portraying a horrible picture if one goes by the doctor-patient ratio in Kashmir. The ration is nowhere close to the set standards raising eyebrows about the functioning of the health department.
According to the data available, the current doctor-patient ration in Kashmir is 1:250 which as per the international standards should have been 1:17. The good doctor-patient ratio internationally, is considered to be a sign of good healthcare, which seems not to be the case in Kashmir.
There is more shock in store if one analyses the doctor-patient ratio taking a holistic view of the entire state. As per the data, the ratio stands at 1: 3000, which means that one doctor, in the state has to see 3000 patients, which is abnormally high.
According to sources, the Out Patient Department (OPD) rush in the state used to be 67 lakh in the year 2014, which has now gone up to 1crore 36 lakh. This irrespective of the fact that the staff strength is still the same that was available in the year 2014.
“There is no proper mechanism in place to keep a check on the increasing number of patients in that state, which could have also taken care of co-required availability of doctors to cater to the needs of the patients,” sources said.
In this scenario, people often feel that they are not getting proper care and attention when they visit any hospitals, and those who can afford are forced to move outside for the treatment.
“A surgery which can cost only 40 thousand rupees here, if done outside the state costs the patient around 2.5 lakh rupees,” said a medico.
Pertinently, experts say that inefficiency is actually lying at the policy level, which is “indirectly telling upon the economy of the state, with large sums being transferred to the other states as people prefer to get their major ailments treated outside.”
With government busy in the creation of additional liabilities in the healthcare system, it is shockingly shutting its eyes over the alarming doctor- patient ratio particularly both in the state as well as in Kashmir Valley.
As reported by this newspaper, the paediatric health is already painting a grim picture, as per sources the specialities like that of gynae and orthopaedics are also no better.
“You see the grim picture that has emerged after the availability of doctors is compared needs to be checked immediately. In such pathetic scenario there are cent-percent chances that the availability of specialists in major areas will also be less than what is the requirement,” official sources said.
KV Correspondent
