Principal SKIMS Medical College says ‘was relieved for causing hindrance’ in delivery of health care to patients
SRINAGAR, April 22: A day after a junior resident doctor claimed that he was terminated from services for asking standard personal protection equipment (PPE), Principal SKIMS Medical College Bemina Dr Riyaz Ahmad Untoo Tuesday said his “tenure engagement was relieved for indulging in indiscipline and abusing a senior doctor”. He also claimed that junior doctor was causing “hindrance” in the delivery of healthcare to patients.
On April 20, Principal SKIMS Medical College Hospital Bemina issued an order which reads, “A doctor (Code No JR-1166) Junior Resident Department of Accident and Emergency is hereby relieved from this institution.”
He has written a letter to President Doctors Association Kashmir Dr Suhail Naik that despite the non-availability of standard PPE, he continued to discharge his duty in the COVID ward without taking into consideration the risk of acquiring this fatal infection.
“Despite repeated verbal and documented requests to administration, the doctors were not provided with standard PPEs. That on 17-04-20 after finishing my uninterrupted duty in COVID ward with substandard PPE, I asked the in-charge stores Dr. Imtiyaz Ahmad, Consultant Ophthalmology, to issue standard PPE. The said doctor responded in a harsh way which resulted in an argument,” he said in the letter.
He claimed he was repeatedly “harassed and threatened”. “That I will be terminated and sent behind the bars along with my family and subsequently relieving order was issued against me on 20-04-20,” he said.
Principal SKIMS Medical College Bemina Dr Riyaz Ahmad Untoo however rubbished the reports that doctor was “terminated from his services”. “Permanent employees or those on contract are being terminated. Junior resident is a house job of three to six-month tenure engagement.”
He claimed that if junior resident does not comply with the norms and guidelines, the administration can relieve his tenure engagement which is three to six months or one year. He said the said doctor’s tenure engagement started at SKIMS Bemina in October 2019.
“He was relieved. Any one causing hindrance in the delivery of health care to patients, action will be taken as indiscipline can be disastrous particularly in prevailing situation due to coronavirus pandemic as SKIMS Medical College Bemina is the largest COVID designated hospital in the UT. He (junior doctor)was even asking some doctors not to enter inside wards to treat patients,” he told news agency KINS.
“Tenure engage can be relieved if anyone indulges in any indiscipline. It has been done on some occasions earlier also. Our priority is the patient care this time,” he said.
Asked the doctor claimed action was taken after he asked for standard PPE, Dr Riyaz replied, “So far more than 400 staff has given duties since April 1 in this hospital. Everyone is provided with proper PPE. He has abused a senior faculty on the quality of PPE kit which everyone is using. We have got them from JKMSCL and SKIMS. Where can I get American made PPE kits?”
