By: Malik Jehangir
SRINAGAR: The Ophthalmology department of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar seems to have gone to dogs as just 158 surgeries have been carried out by the professors of the department in six months of this year.
The number of surgeries being carried out is very less than the number of surgeries that ought to have been carried out during the same period. In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, the Public Information Officer (PIO) of GMC Srinagar has said that 158 surgeries have been carried out by the Ophthalmology department from March 18, 2020 to September 30, 2020.
Deputy Medical Superintendent who is the PIO of GMC Srinagar has replied to the RTI application and said that Professor Tariq Qureshi has carried out around 90 percent surgeries in the department. Professor Qureshi who is the Head of the Ophthalmology department carried out 138 surgeries during the six and half months’ period.
Professor Sabia Rashid has carried out 18 surgeries during the same period while Professor Junaid S Wani and Professor Afroz Khan have carried out a surgery each from March 18, 2020 to September 30, 2020. Professor Sabia is the sister of incumbent Principal GMC Srinagar Professor Samia Rashid.
Sources said that the number of surgeries carried out by the professors of the department during the same period is very less than the number of surgeries they should have carried out in the actual course of things. They said that no less than 950 surgeries should have been carried out in the department during the six months.
“There are laid down norms which say that on an average a professor of the department should carry out 10 surgeries in a week. This means that 40 surgeries should be carried out by the professors of the department in a week. This leads to 160 surgeries in a month and 960 surgeries in six months,” said sources.
Sources said that most of the professors of the department ask the patients who are in need of the surgery to visit an eye private hospital at Qamarwari in Srinagar where they are operated upon. They said that there is a ‘nexus’ between the management of the private hospital and these Professors vis-à-vis eye surgeries.
“The majority of the professors of the department discourage the patients for a surgery at the GMC Srinagar saying that it would take months together to carry out the surgery. They motivate the patients to get the surgery done at the private hospital and in lieu of the same they receive huge amounts from the hospital management,” said sources.
Sources said that Ophthalmology department of GMC Srinagar was one of the few departments that was least affected by Corona Virus, but still then a handful of surgeries were carried out. They said the professors of the department receive a huge amount as monthly salary, but do very little work.