Reservation is beneficial, but undue reservation can be detrimental to society. It risks establishing lower standards and prioritizing reservation over merit. Our people now possess the necessary resources and competence; they no longer require reservation that might inadvertently discriminate against them within society.
Dr Qaiser Manzoor Bhat
The recently published list of doctors for the admission to various courses of MD,MS, DNB in the medical colleges, hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir has sent shockwaves throughout the medical community reflecting the blatant disregard for merit having marred the selection process. The list, which was supposed to be a celebration of excellence and hard work of thousands of doctors across the length and breadth of the Jammu and Kashmir has instead become a stark reminder of the rampant favoritism and cronyism that plagues the said system. As we delve into the details of this list the only thing that becomes clear is that the merit has been murdered and slaughtered putting the future of healthcare in Jammu and Kashmir at high risk.
Facts:Firstly, according to the seat matrix recently released by JKBOPEE, out of the total 293 seats under the state quota, only 113 are allocated to open merit candidates, while the remaining 180 seats are reserved for students belonging to other categories. It is shocking that, out of the total quota of seats reserved for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, open merit candidates receive only a 28 percent share, while the remaining seats are allocated to categories reserved by the Government under the new reservation policy.
Secondly, the introduction of Scheduled Tribes 1 and 2, each receiving a share of 28 seats, has further reduced the open merit seats to a bare minimum. Thirdly, the blocking of open merit seats and horizontal reservation further exacerbates the issue, leaving thousands of open merit doctors at a disadvantage.
Consequences: The implications of this disaster goes far beyond the plight of the students belonging to the open merit category which itself has been rendered to a bare minimum now. It certainly puts a question mark on the future of healthcare institutions in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and more alarmingly, the lives of patients hanging in the balance.
When merit is sacrificed at the altar of reservation and nepotism, the consequences are dire and imminent. Inexperienced and below average doctors, who have managed to secure their positions by scoring not even 1/3rd of what the open merit candidates have scored indicates that the merit has been murdered in the most brutal ways.
This is a recipe for disaster, and the potential harm to patients is too great to ignore.Furthermore, the erosion of trust in healthcare institutions will have long-term consequences. Patients will be reluctant to seek medical care, and those who do will be anxious and fearful about the quality of care they will receive.
The most tragic consequence of the reservation policy is the victimization of deserving meritorious doctors and the failure to get the branch of their choice in tertiary and district hospitals of the Jammu and Kashmir. These individuals, who have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of medical excellence, have been robbed of the opportunities they rightfully deserve.
The failure of the system to recognize and reward merit has left those deserving felt disillusioned and disenfranchised. Despite all the hard work the” have put in, they have been overlooked and undervalued miserably.
This is not just a personal tragedy for these individuals; it is also a loss for the medical community as a whole. The failure to recognize and reward merit means that the most talented and dedicated doctors are not being utilized to their full potential.
Possible Solutions:There are possible solutions to the problem which has becomes imperative for the current regime that the reservation policy be reviewed again to ensure that justice is delivered to the deserving candidates. There must be a holistic approach to identify the loopholes that have been exploited by unscrupulous individuals who have been favored by the said reservation policy. Review should be conducted by an independent body appointed by the government, comprising experts from various fields, to ensure that the recommendations are impartial, effective and executed within a limited frame of time.
It Is our collective responsibility to fight for a fair and equitable system that provides opportunities for all, regardless of their background or circumstances.The writing is probably on the wall, if our healthcare continues down this perilous path, the consequences will be catastrophic. It is high time that our policy makers take a hard look in the mirror and make the necessary changes before it is too late.
Dr. Qaiser Manzoor Bhat, a resident doctor at GMC Handwara, Kashmir, recently completed a clinical fellowship in acute medicine at University Hospitals Weston and Bristol, UK.[email protected]
