Jammu, Mar 19: MLA Thakur Singh on Wednesday raised a question, highlighting that despite the presence of essential infrastructure and medical equipment, the lack of adequate staffing is severely impacting the delivery of quality healthcare services the Kalakote-Sunderbani constituency.
According to the official response from the Health and Medical Education Department, out of 365 sanctioned posts in facilities such as Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Sunderbani and Community Health Centre (CHC) Kalakote, only 205 positions have been filled. The remaining 160 vacancies have created bottlenecks in patient care and overburdened the existing staff.
The department admitted that although equipment like X-ray machines are being utilized round-the-clock at CHC Kalakote and SDH Sunderbani, the absence of sufficient skilled personnel has forced many patients to turn to private healthcare providers. A sinologist is available only twice a week at SDH Sunderbani, further limiting diagnostic capabilities.
Efforts to strengthen diagnostic services are underway, with a new X-ray machine procured for PHC Trayath, expected to be installed shortly. However, PHC Moughla continues to lack a sanctioned post for an X-ray technician, leaving a critical gap in services there.
To address the issue, the department highlighted several initiatives, including the appointment of 255 Medical Officers under the JK Health & Family Welfare (Gazetted) Services in November 2021, many of whom have been posted in underserved regions. Furthermore, efforts are ongoing to deploy candidates from a waiting list of 911 selected Medical Officers, and 181 additional posts are set to be filled soon through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.
