Kupwara grapples with acute manpower shortage in health sector

Srinagar, Aug 16: Kupwara district in north Kashmir is grappling with a severe manpower shortage as 50 per cent posts across various wings of the health department are lying vacant.Official sources said nearly 1,500 posts of doctors, allied staff are vacant under the Health Department, while another 100 posts remain unfilled in the Health and Family Welfare wing.They said the National Health Mission (NHM) is also facing a similar crisis, with around 150 posts lying vacant in the district taking a toll on healthcare services.The manpower shortfall has severely affected the functioning of several health facilities, especially in remote and far-flung areas of the border district.Residents said that patients in need of basic and emergency healthcare are forced to travel long distances due to the non-availability of medical staff in their nearby facilities.The situation is extremely challenging. Most health centres are running with skeletal staff. In many cases, a single doctor or paramedic is handling the workload meant for multiple personnel,” said Javid Ahmad, a resident of Kupwara.What has further added to the crisis is the trend of employees seeking transfers out of Kupwara shortly after being posted. “Many health professionals posted in the district prefer to get relocated to urban centres or districts closer to Srinagar, citing lack of facilities, connectivity issues, and family concerns. Doctors and paramedics are not willing to stay for long. The continuous outflow of staff has weakened the system,” he said.Despite repeated demands by local representatives and health officials for urgent recruitment drives and retention strategies, the vacancies continue to persist.Residents and patients continue to bear the brunt of the shortage. “Doctors are missing from PHCs and sub-centres. We are forced to visit the district hospital even for minor ailments,” said Ghulam Nabi, a resident of Kralpora.The residents have called for immediate intervention from the administration to ensure the delivery of quality healthcare services in Kupwara, particularly as the region remains vulnerable due to its challenging terrain, proximity to the border, and limited private healthcare options.One of the hospitals where patient services have been badly affected is PHC Magam, where a shortage of manpower has disrupted maternity and dental care.Mohd Shafi Mir, a resident of Magam, said the nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC) Magam is facing a shortage of gynaecologists, dental surgeons, and paramedical staff, which has taken a toll on healthcare services in the area. “The Health Department should constitute a committee to assess the shortage and take up the matter with the government so that these posts are filled,” he said.The residents alleged that the health department has failed to come up with a concrete plan to fill the vacant posts and stabilise manpower deployment in the district despite reminders.Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kupwara, Dr Masrat Iqbal Wani, said the department has repeatedly sent requisitions to the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK).“We have sent requisitions to the DHSK from time to time, and we are hopeful that the department will soon take appropriate steps to appoint the manpower,” he said.