Srinagar, Mar 10: The Health & Medical Education Department has informed the Jammu and Kashmir Government that the waiting list of 91 Medical Officers will be utilised in underserved areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
The information was provided by the Minister of Health and Medical Education in the Legislative Assembly in response to an unstarred question raised by MLA Thakur Randhir Singh regarding steps being taken to tackle the shortage of medical professional staff in rural areas.
The house was informed that the health institutions in rural areas are functioning smoothly, and any issues related to staff shortages are being addressed through the National Health Mission (NHM).
The government was informed that continuous recruitment is being conducted through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (J&KPSC) and Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (J&KSSB).
Notably, in November 2024, 365 Medical Officers were appointed in J&K Health and Family Welfare (Gazetted) Services and were posted in far-flung and peripheral health institutes across Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen healthcare facilities at the grassroots level.
The reply said the department is in process of operating a waitlist for 91 selected Medical Officers. Additionally, 181 Medical Officer posts are yet to be received from the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.
In response to another question by the MLA regarding the steps being taken to establish new PMJAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) centers in rural areas of Kalakote and Sunderbani constituencies, the reply stated that 41 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (previously known as Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres) under the Ayushman Bharat scheme are already operational in these areas.
Additionally, five more facilities are under consideration for the financial year 2025-26.
In the Sunderbani and Kalakote blocks of Rajouri district, two public hospitals—SDH Sunderbani and CHC Kalakote—have been empanelled under the AB-PMJAY/SEHAT scheme. In the private sector, SSDM Hospital Sunderbani is also empanelled under AB-PMJAY/SEHAT.
