Jammu, Dec 26: Several administrative posts in the Health Department have since long been lying vacant which in turn has been adversely affecting the functioning of the department both at the administrative level as well as on the delivery front.
An official wishing anonymity informed that the post of Deputy Director, Health Services (Schemes), Jammu, has been lying vacant for the last around three months. The post of Assistant Director, Health Education Bureau (Jammu), is also lying vacant for the last over eight months, he said.
Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Bhupinder Kumar, did not respond to repeated calls for his comments on the issue pertaining to both public as well as the administrative aspect of the Health Department.
However, the President of J&K Medical Employees Federation, Sushil Sudan, told Rising Kashmir that the matter regarding vacant administrative posts in the Health Department had been brought to the notice of the Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Bhupinder Kumar.
“Administrative Secretary had assured that the vacant posts will be filled very shortly,” Sudan said, adding, “Bhupinder Kumar told us that necessary instructions have been issued to the Under Secretary to initiate the process for filling up vacant posts on a priority basis.”
Meanwhile, the post of Assistant Director, Rehbar-e-Sehat, Jammu, has also not been filled for the last more than two years. Similarly, there is no State Veneriologist, Jammu, in place for the last six months.
“The important post of State Malariologist has also not been filled for the last more than two months,” the official said. “Apart from these posts, Sub District Hospital (SDH), Jagti, Nagrota (Jammu), has been awaiting Medical Superintendent (MS) for over four months.”
The post of Block Medical Officer (BMO), Nowshera, Rajouri, has also not been filled for over a month. To run the day-to-day affairs of the department, one officer has been holding two, three, or more additional charges, the official said.
“This is not only affecting the functioning of the department, especially at the administrative level but is also making things worse for the general public,” the official said, adding that many administrative decisions are either not being taken or are delayed.
