Following the issuance of a circular urging hospital staff to stay vigilant due to heightened border tensions in Jammu and Kashmir, the medical superintendent of Jammu’s Government Medical College Hospital has been reassigned to the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, effective immediately. The circular was subsequently rescinded by the college’s principal, Dr. Ashutosh Gupta.
In a government order, Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Secretary of the Health and Medical Education Department, stated: “Dr. Narinder Bhutyal, the interim medical superintendent of Government Medical College, Jammu, is hereby reassigned and attached to the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu for further duties.”
This reassignment comes a day after Dr. Bhutyal circulated a memo instructing hospital staff to be prepared for any emergencies that may arise, in response to the cross-border tension in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The memo was issued following a terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, most of whom were tourists, along with a local resident.
In his absence, Dr. Varinder Trisal, the medical superintendent of Ramban district hospital, will take charge of the Government Medical College & Hospital. Meanwhile, Dr. Sudershan Singh Katoch, who is currently a medical officer at the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited, will temporarily oversee the Ramban district hospital.
In the memo he circulated, Dr. Bhutyal highlighted the establishment of a 24/7 control room to coordinate emergency responses. He also requested all store officers and keepers to keep essential supplies, emergency medicines, and critical equipment in a ready state for immediate use in case of any emergency.
The memo also advised all hospital staff to limit unnecessary leave and to ensure their presence on the hospital premises during duty hours to maintain continuous and effective patient care.
