Days after the shocking report on drug abuse by IMHANS Kashmir, the Department of Psychiatry has shut the IPD services at the De-Addiction Centre in SMHS hospital, which is the valley’s premier De-addiction facility.
Recently, IMHANS released a disturbing report stating that the number of patients visiting OPDs in the Valley’s largest District De-addiction Centre in SMHS Hospital, Srinagar has jumped 75% to 41,110 in the year-ending March 2023.
The report had also claimed that in the previous financial year, over 21,000 follow-up patients and 2,000 new patients had turned up at the DDC while in ’22, the number of new users has gone past 3000 and follow-up patients beyond 38000.
Amid the growing drug addiction, a meeting was held by the Department of Psychiatry to discuss the fallout of cessation of services w.e.f 01-09-2023 of 28 personnel engaged under NMHP and contingency measures to be taken thereof.
The meeting was attended by Dr Arshid Hussain, Dr Zaid Ahmad Wani, Prof. Dr. Yasir Hassan Rather, Dr. Ajaz Ahmad Baba and Dr. Syed Abinah Nawaz.
At the outset of the meeting the already existing gap between the available manpower and the patient load and services was outlined.
The Medical Superintendent detailed the deficiency of the staff due to unfilled/vacant positions especially that of the multi-tasking staff whose sanctioned strength is 69, out of which only 31 posts are filled and 38 posts are vacant.
The impact of cessation of services of 28 personnel engaged under National Mental Health Programme in the backdrop of the already existing deficiency of staff was discussed threadbare. MO 1/C, Duties detailed the existing deployment of the staff as well as the gaps that will be created because of the cessation of the services of the hired personnel.
Whereas, the issue of severe shortage of staff and the impending crises due to cessation of these personnel has already been flagged and the Principal/ Dean, Govt. Medical College, Srinagar as well as the higher authorities have been apprised of the same; while waiting for positive response regarding mitigation of the crises, it was decided in the meeting that certain contingency measures have become unavoidable and need to be instituted to tailor the services provided to the available manpower so that patient care in essential areas will be least affected.
After discussing the issues threadbare, the doctors in the meeting decided that De-addiction IPD services at Community General Hospital Unit, SMHS Complex (DDC) will be stopped till the manpower crises is resolved.
Only severe cases requiring admission will be entertained at Govt. Psychiatric Disease Hospital Srinagar (Main Hospital) at Rainawari, they said in a press statement.
“OPD services including de-addiction and General Psychiatry etc will be stopped at CGHU and will be catered to at Govt. Psychiatric Disease Hospital Srinagar (Main Hospital) at Rainawari,” read the statement.
In order to optimize the patient care services, the IPD services at Govt. Psychiatric Diseases Hospital Srinagar will be scaled down to bare minimum and only severely sick patients will be admitted and the Electro Convulsive Therapy services at Govt. Psychiatric Diseases Hospital Srinagar will be restricted to only 03 days per week.
“The MRD section at Govt. Psychiatric Diseases Hospital Srinagar will remain functional till 5 pm only as used to be the practice before the hiring of personnel under National Mental Health Programme. Manual OPD tickets will be kept available with the emergency staff for emergency patient,” the meeting doctors decided.
hese measures are deemed necessary so that the services are optimized and there is no dilution of patient care in case of severely sick patients, the meeting concluded.