Jammu, Mar 22: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Saturday said the Health and Medical Education Department is in the process of implementing a waitlist for 91 selected Medical Officers, whose expertise will be deployed in underserved regions throughout the Union Territory.
The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission is currently processing 181 Medical Officer positions. Once selections are finalised, the appointed doctors will be assigned to health institutions facing staff shortages.
Responding to a question posed by MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma during the Assembly session, the Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo said 27 doctors have been assigned to Block Padder from the regular cadre, complemented by 5 doctors from the National Health Mission. She said there is sufficient paramedical staff from the regular cadre, enhanced by an additional 25 paramedics from the National Health Mission.
The minister further said that in November 2024, 365 individuals were appointed as Medical Officers in the J&K Health and Family Welfare (Gazetted) Services, with 8 of these Medical Officers assigned to District Kishtwar. These officers have been placed in remote and peripheral health institutions across Jammu and Kashmir to bolster healthcare services at the grassroots level.
She said the health department is actively working on the waitlist for the 91 selected Medical Officers, who will also serve in the underserved areas of Jammu and Kashmir. “The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission is processing 181 Medical Officer positions. Once selections are made, the appointed doctors will be allocated to health institutions that are experiencing staff shortages,” the minister said.
Itoo announced that 292 vacant positions for Non-Gazetted staff from the Directorate of Family Welfare, MCH & Immunisation, along with 290 positions from the Directorate of Health Services in Jammu, have been forwarded to the JKSSRB for the purpose of selection and recruitment.
The following is the breakdown of available ambulances in the hospitals located in Paddar: SDH Paddar has 2 ambulances, PHC Massu has 2, and PHC Keeru has 3. Out of the total of 7 ambulances, 3 are classified as Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances.
These hospitals are equipped with sufficient infrastructure, including machinery and equipment, the minister said, adding that PHC Atholi Padder has been elevated to the status of a Sub District Hospital as per G.O No. 294-JK(HME) issued on May 12, 2022.
The minister said the austerity measures implemented by the Finance Department are currently in effect. Consequently, the focus is on consolidating existing health facilities across the region, which hosts approximately 4,000 health institutions at various levels (Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary).
Jammu and Kashmir is recognised for its high health institution density, boasting one health institution for every 3,500 individuals, compared to the national average of one for every 6,000 individuals, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in 2023.
Currently, trauma cases are being managed by SDH Paddar and DH Kishtwar, demonstrating the ongoing efforts to enhance healthcare services in the region.
