Medical professionals in Jammu and Kashmir are up in arms over a government decision to adjust working hours for staff at Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and Government Dental Colleges (GDCs). The move aims to align their schedules with standard office hours, starting at 9 am and ending at 5 pm.
Doctors in Jammu and Kashmir Protest Revised Working Hours
Critical Concerns Raised
Multiple care providers, including nurses, physicians, and allied workers, have publicly raised many issues related to patient quality services during non-daytime times. The proposed system of business hours gives them room to doubt on who will be available for the few patients requiring urgent medical attention before 9 am and after 5 pm. This has been the main reason that has triggered varying opinions among Kashmir’s Medical Faculty Associations of GMCs and GDCs.
Lack of Consultation
The medical schools look for fault in the executive branch of government for issuing the directive that did not consult key players while ignoring the fact that the provision of health care is a unique service that has always functioned 24/7. They think that the current shift assignments that existed a long time ago already include the provision for round-the-clock patient care that cannot be likened to a typical office schedule.
Unwavering Dedication
The associations concentrate on the things that healthcare workers have to go through in their daily lives, which strongly supports their dedication to the health of patients. Surgeons frequently operate at the time their work should be completed but do not have the benefits of regular overtime, and the consultants and faculty are always on call 24/7 for urgent cases.
Impact on Healthcare System
The introduction of the new timings may result in the return of the staff to their general hospitals. Another susceptible area is the overburdening of health institutions. But in this case, especially in rural medical colleges,. This is in addition to the fact that the current high rate of attrition of essential, experienced personnel will continue to undermine the delivery of quality patient care.
Call for Reconsideration
The medical establishment flannel the government. With the plead of revisiting the option and carrying genuine interactions with all ends of stakeholders. They strive to keep order in abeyance. Until consensus is reached on a solution that is both realistic and practical,
Moving Forward
Discourse keeps going, and the attention to the quality assurance aspect is not less. But it is always the target of the patients and their health care. Looking for a way to stroll into a fine line between operational efficiency and healthcare quality is an urgent strategic necessity.
