Banihal/Jammu: A senior BJP leader on Tuesday created a ruckus inside a sub-district hospital in Banihal over an alleged shortage of doctors by locking the main gate and holding a dharna inside the premises of the facility, briefly disrupting services.
The chaos continued for nearly half an hour despite repeated requests from Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mohammad Naseeb, who had rushed to the scene with a police team after receiving information about the incident.
The BJP leader, Mohammad Saleem Bhat, who unsuccessfully contested in the last assembly elections from the Banihal constituency, relented after authorities assured him that his concerns have been conveyed to the top officials.
Before unlocking the gate, Bhat claimed that for the past many months, several posts of doctors have been lying vacant in the hospital located on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. He claimed that the authorities have repeatedly ignored his appeals to address the shortage.
The BJP leader further claimed that four doctors were on study leave, another suspended from duty, and one was recently deputed to the Ramban District Hospital without finding a replacement for him.
“If seeking justice were considered a crime, I am ready for it. I will continue my struggle even if the police file an FIR against me,” Bhat said.
The hospital authorities have maintained that patient care was not significantly affected. They said that a block medical officer and 12 doctors are currently posted at the hospital and attending to patients.
“More than 500 patients were examined in the Outpatient Department (OPD) even today,” said an official who did not wish to be named.
The official further said that the health department is aware of the situation and is taking necessary steps to ensure the availability of doctors.
