Nitesh Sangral

12/28/2016                           Old wine in new bottle Government asking doctors to prescribe generic medicines has triggered a debate. Would this order be implemented in letter and spirit remains to be seen? As in the past this order and idea proved to be damp squib. Nitesh Sangral    Jammu, Dec 27: The new direction of Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department is like the proverbial 'old wine in a new bottle'. Number of times, the concerned Ministers as well as higher ups of the Department issued directions to head of hospitals to ensure that doctors prescribe only generic drugs but failed to implement it. The fresh direction now has received mixed response from doctors' fraternity. Moreover, some doctors are of the opinion that they don't have any problems to prescribe generic drugs to patients but t...

' Irregularities' in procurement of surgical sutures 12/23/2016  Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report   Jammu, Dec 23: A complaint has been filed in Crime Brach, Jammu, against J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) for violation of norms and favouring a multinational company in procurement of surgical sutures. It has been alleged that the rates offered by other firms were 60 percent less than those of the company approved by the JKMSCL. A copy of the complaint in possession of Early Times says that tendering process for sutures is "blatantly and unduly biased" towards Ethicon Division of Johnson & Johnson Limited and that 'odd' tender specifications are drawn in a manner to ensure that only the selected company's products meet the technical specification. "It proves that Ethicon has an allegedly deep rooted links in the JKMSCL and are well competent to virtually monopolize the terms and condition, specification and ...

12/20/2016 Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report    Jammu, Dec 20: Some Head of Departments (HODs) of Government Medical College are at loggerheads with the administration over purchase of surgical sutures (thread). Since its establishment, the JK Medical Supplies Corporation has not provided surgical threads to government hospitals across the state including the GMC&H. It has resulted in confrontation between some senior doctors and administration of the hospital. Sources in the GMC&H told Early Times that a meeting was held between some senior doctors and the administration to discuss unavailability of surgical sutures. During the meeting, when the administration asked some doctors to authorise them to purchase sutures from the market, the later refused to do so. Sources said some doctors were favouring a particular company, but the administration did not agree. These doctors were asked by officials to leave the decision to administration. Sources ad...

IGGDC fails to overcome shortcomings for years 12/19/2016 Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report   JAMMU, Dec 19: The famous phrase 'One step forward, two steps back' aptly fits on Jammu and Kashmir Department of Health and Medical Education (H&ME) as on one hand projects worth cores are coming up, on the other, it has failed to address shortcomings within the system . Despite pointing out the shortcomings by inspection team repeatedly, the H&ME department and the administration of Indira Gandhi Government Dental College (IGGDC) and Hospital Jammu, have failed to redress them so far affecting future of medical students. Sources within IGGDC Jammu told Early Times that the inspection of the College was supposed to be held October this year but it was cancelled as the Principal had to attend a meeting in Srinagar. Now last Wednesday, the six member expert Team visited IGGDC Jammu to review the progress, but some of faculty members were absent, which offended...

Appoint IAS/KAS officer as MD: Mehbooba 12/13/2016 Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report   Jammu, Dec 13: Seemingly unsatisfied with the functioning of Jammu and Kashmir Medical Corporation Limited (JKMSCL), Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today reportedly reprimanded Managing Director (MD) of JKMSCL for poor management of the corporation. Moreover, CM also directed the concerned authority to appoint IAS/ KAS officer on MD post rather than a doctor, to avoid any conflict of interest in the Corporation's functioning. Reliable Sources told Early Times that CM Mehbooba Mufti called Board of Directors' meeting of JKMSCL to review the progress of the Corporation in which Financial Commissioner, Planning and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner- Secretary, Finance, Navin Choudhary, Secretary, Health and Medical Education, MK Bhandari, Director, SKIMS, Prof. A. G. Ahangar; Principal, GMC, Jammu, Prof. Zahid Geelani, Principal, GMC, Srinagar, Prof. K...

Tenders re-advertised repeatedly due to cumbersome procedure 12/11/2016  Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report  Jammu, Dec 11: Making mockery of State Health Ministry's claims that Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) is meant to purchase quality drugs at lowest possible rates and stop backdoor purchases , it as failed to build trust in tenderers' mind allegedly due to 'Arbitrary Clauses' in the tender. Pertinently, JKMSCL failed to complete tendering process and release payments to the vendors in time, owing to which all government hospitals from sub district level to Government Medical Colleges across State have been suffering due to insufficient of drugs, surgical and other related items. Reliable sources told Early Times, that JKMSCL had to issue tenders repeatedly for establishment of H1N1 Swine Flu Laboratory, procurement of equipment worth Rs 1.12 crore for Indira Gandhi Dental College Hospital, due to poor response in tend...

GMC Sgr bypasses JKMSCL, makes purchases from market 12/10/2016  Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report  JAMMU, Dec 10: It seems rules and regulations laid down by the Health Department are meant only for Jammu, not for Srinagar. For example, despite availability of Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL), which is meant for purchasing drugs and other things for hospitals across the state, the Government Medical College Srinagar is making purchases from open market. "This decision to purchase medicines from open market exposes the mismanagement prevailing in the Health Department. There are separate rules for Jammu and Srinagar", sources said. "It also reflects hostile relation between JKMSCL and GMC Srinagar, as since the Corporation has been set up in the state, some influential lobby had demanded a separate corporation for Kashmir province. The Health Department however ignored such demand. Since then, hurdles have been created by...

12/5/2016 Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report   jammu, Dec 5: Purchasing anti-venom serum (AVS) has proven to be a Herculean task for J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL), as less participation in tender process has resulted in no procurement of AVS since 2013. Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) sources told Early Times that since setting up of JKMSCL, AVS could not be procured. They said not a single vial has been supplied to government hospitals in the state, due to which patients, especially from kandi areas, are forced to go to private clinics or move out of the state for treatment. "PGI Chandigarh had also taken 150 vials from GMCH Jammu two years ago as the shortage of serum has been affecting health institutes across the country. The serum shortage has taken place after the animal activist and incumbent Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, had filed a case against torture of horses," sources said. Th...

12/1/2016 Nitesh Sangral    Early Times Report Jammu, Dec 1: In a shocking incident, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu has abandoned a poor patient and left him unattended for the last two days to die. Pertinently, two medical social workers working in the hospital, who are responsible to coordinate with the treating doctor and look after such patients, were both absent. After Early Times reporter brought the matter to notice of Medical Superintendent, he took swift action and admitted the abandoned patient in the hospital and treatment was started. "According to eyewitness, two ward boys had allegedly abandoned him in-front of mortuary room to die. Senior doctor told Early Times that the abandoned man was lying unattended at GMCH Jammu for last two days but surprisingly the social workers failed to attend and admit the ailing man in the hospital. When Early Times team visited the hospital and tried to admit the patient a ...

11/30/2016   Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report Jammu, Nov 30: Poor facilities and indifference meted out to over 4900 HIV/ AIDS patients registered with Jammu and Kashmir State AIDS Control Society (JKSACS) have impelled many of them to leave their treatment midway and disappear. Every year lakhs of rupees are spent to observe world AIDS day by the JKACS and highlight their achievements but all their claims fall flat when it comes to giving basic facilities to the patients, Officials sources allege adding that JKACS has enough funds to spend on peripheral things but do not have funds to setup a district level units so patient can get treatment at their doorsteps. They further said that the State has more than 4900 patients who are living with deadly virus and are facing huge hardship to get treatment especially for those who belong to far flung areas of Jammu province. Neither Government nor JKSACS have taken required steps to provide treatment to patients at their d...