Detached medical staff fails to join original places of posting in Gurez, residents suffer

Gurez, Dec 30: The residents of Gurez Valley in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have been facing a lot of problems in absence of medical staff in various health centres including CHC Dawar in this remote valley.

Sources said that during the early days of COVID-19 pandemic in March, around 22 employees including doctors and para-medical staff were attached to District headquarters in Bandipora for various COVID related duties.

They said that the employees were attached as the COVID situation across the district was very grim in the early days and there was dearth of staff at COVID care centres and other COVID related duties.

The sources said as the situation started getting back to normal in the district; all the attached employees were detached from COVID duties and were asked to join back their original places of posting in Gurez.

“However, only 4-5 employees have joined back to their original places of posting while the rest have got themselves attached either in CMO office or District Hospital Bandipora for their own convenience. The orders issued by the concerned authorities remain confined to office files only while on ground nobody seems to take these orders seriously,” they said.

Meanwhile, locals said that they are being forced to face a lot of problems in the absence of adequate medical staff in health centres across Gurez valley including CHC Dawar as the deputed staff has got themselves attached to district headquarters.

“We are forced to run from pillar to post in the absence of adequate medical staff including doctors’ particularly at CHC Dawar, which is the only premiere health care institution in Gurez valley. The area remains cut off from the rest of the world during winter months which compounds to our problems,” said Mohammad Ismail Lone, a local resident.

He said that if there is any emergency during winter months they have no other option but to leave the patient to die as there is no adequate medical staff available and Bandipora-Gurez road also remains closed for winter months.

The residents said that they have brought the issue into the notice of concerned authorities several times but to no avail as the detached staff is yet to join back their duties in Gurez.

They appealed to the Lieutenant Governor and Director Health to personally look into the matter and help resolve their problems being faced due to lack of adequate medical staff in Gurez.

Meanwhile, Block Medical Officer (BMO) Gurez, Dr. Tahira confirmed to KNO that only four employees have joined back their duties in Gurez while rest 18 employees have not joined their original places of posting in Gurez.

She said that the health institutions including CHC Dawar in Gurez are facing a lot of problems due to lack of staff as the detached staff has not joined back their duties. She also said that the detachment order of all 22 employees from Gurez was first issued in November this year but they failed to join their duties since then.

When contacted Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bandipora, Dr. Bashir Ahmad told that the salary of all these employees will be withheld till they do not join their original places of posting—