Irfan Tramboo

Rules set aside by SKIMS Bemina on PG’s, SR’s training schedules

Rules set aside by SKIMS Bemina on PG’s, SR’s training schedules
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Medicos forced to work rather than trained

Srinagar: In gross violation of norms and rules, Post Graduates medicos (PGs) and Senior Residents (SRs) from Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura are being deputed to SKIMS Medical College, Bemina for working in the hospital on full-time basis. Though, the rulebook says that these doctors are to be deputed in SKIMS Bemina for training purposes only, however, they end up working there on full-time basis.

While SKIMS, Soura is having huge infrastructural and patient needs to take care of, the monthly rotation of doctors and PG students is not only taking a toll on the medicos but, it is also affecting the functioning of several departments in SKIMS. The move also raises a question mark on the working ability of the SKIMS, Bemina Medical College staff.

Though the officials maintain that PGs and SRs are sent for training purposes, the doctors object to the argument by saying that there is no need for training for SRs at least. “Even if that was required, the doctors from SKIMS Medical College, Bemina should have been coming to SKIMS,” they said.

“It happens for almost all the departments, we send PGs and SRs for training purposes to Medical College and it has been happening,” said Medical Superintendent, SKIMS Dr Farooq Jan.

“Training program for Senior Residents is out of questions, it can be accepted in case of PGs,” a doctor said.

Doctors who are sent to SKIMS Medical College, Bemina allege that they end up doing all the work at the departments they are deputed to.

While the departments at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina are well equipped with manpower, the SKIMS doctors sent there for training said “they force Senior Residents from SKIMS Soura to work there, despite having adequate staff to run the departments,” a doctor said.

Every month, insiders said, that 2 Senior Residents and 3 PG’s are sent from Soura to SKIMS Medical College, and once they are in, “the staff there leave everything to us, leaving us over-burdened with work.”

The reality of leaving everything to the SRs that are sent from SKIMS by the staff at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina was also confirmed by a doctor who used to work as SRs at the Medical College.

“Yes, that is correct, the SRs from the SKIMS actually run the department (the department where he used to work (which cannot be mentioned on the request of the doctor), they leave it all to the SRs who come from SKIMS,” he said.

Principal, SKIMS Medical College, Bemina Dr ReyazUntoo also said that these PGs and SRs are sent on rotation from SKIMS, he, however, rejected that the staff at the hospital leave everything to the SRs from SKIMS, saying that everyone is doing their ‘bit’.

“PGs and SRs are sent to the Medical College on rotation, and that is how it works,” he said, “There is no question of the staff not working and leaving it to them (SRs from SKIMS),” he said.

If it is to be argued that these two institutions are actually trying to complement each other’s manpower on the pretext of training programs—which already stands contested—by keeping SRs on rotation, the question that arises here is that why do both the hospitals resort to separate appointments when it comes to the manpower.

The fact was also confirmed by the Principal SKIMS Medical College, Bemina who said that the Medical College does not come under the administrative control of SKIMS, thus, the appointments ought to be made separately.

“The appointments cannot be same, we do not come under the direct administrative control of SKIMS. We do it our way,” he said, however, justifying the flow of SRs in particular from SKIMS to the Medical College.

By the logic of not coming under the direct administrative control of SKIMS, sending SRs from SKIMS to SKIMS Medical College, Bemina—where they end up working full-fledged, as they should have been at their parent institution—cannot be justified.

Pertinently, the SRs who are working at SKIMS have been appointed on the condition that they only have to work at SKIMS, Soura.


Irfan Tramboo

Irfan Tramboo is a reporter and covers education and health and can be contacted [email protected]

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