J&K’s peripheral hospitals continue to face shortage of specialist doctors

Srinagar, May 16: Peripheral hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir continue to face a shortage of specialist doctors, which puts an additional burden on tertiary care hospitals and leaves patients to suffer.
According to doctors, almost all districts in J&K are grappling with a shortage of specialists, raising concerns about the functioning of district and sub-district hospitals.
In the Kupwara district of North Kashmir alone, nearly 70 MBBS doctor posts and over a dozen specialist positions remain vacant, severely affecting patient care.
In Baramulla district, almost all the sub-district hospitals have a shortage of specialist doctors, forcing the patients to visit the tertiary care hospitals located far away.
For example, SDH Tangmarg, a major facility, grapples with an acute shortage of manpower. Officials said there are seven vacancies for medical officers and consultants, and around 15 posts of paramedical staff, including nurses, remain unfilled for years.
GMC Baramulla, the lone tertiary care center in North Kashmir, is facing staff shortage in vital areas despite the increased load of patients from different areas.
Officials said that the medical college has no nephrologist, no cardiologist, no neurologist, and there is shortage of orthopedicians, endocrinologists which has affected patients coming from different areas and compelling them to visit Srinagar hospitals.
He said despite the superannuation of employees many posts are vacant positions, as the Health and Medical Education Department has yet to provide replacements.
Notably, as per the Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure & Human Resources) 2022-23 report released by the Union Health Ministry there is a sanctioned strength of 1677 posts of doctors/medical officers of which 1030 are in position and 647 posts are lying vacant across rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
The shortage of specialist doctors includes surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists, physicians, paediatricians, radiographers, community health officers, anaesthetists, and general duty medical officers (allopathic).
Officials said lack of healthcare facilities in rural areas is evident that patients across places are compelled to move to district or sub-district hospitals for treatment of minor ailments.
Earlier in March, the Government was informed that J&K is facing a shortage of 313 consultant and senior consultant doctors, Health and Medical Education Department.
The information was provided by the department in the Legislative Assembly in response to a question raised by MLA Arjun Singh Raju on shortage of specialists/consultants in District Hospitals in J&K.
In November last year, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) had appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir govt. to create consultant and senior consultant posts in the Health Department.
A senior official from the Health Department, J&K, said that the government is actively considering creating posts for consultant doctors and is making efforts to address the shortage of specialist doctors.