Srinagar, June 21: A tug of war between disengaged paramedical staff and the Government Medical College Srinagar has brought appointments to a standstill and hit patient care across the medical college’s associated hospitals/major tertiary facilities.
The ongoing deadlock has delayed recruitments and hampered smooth functioning, raising serious concerns over healthcare delivery in one of the region’s largest medical institutions.
Recently, the disengaged paramedical and nursing staff of Government Medical College Srinagar have got stayed an advertisement notice issued by the medical college for hiring of nursing and paramedical staff on an academic arrangement basis.
In June 2023, GMC Srinagar disengaged 93 paramedics who were employed under academic arrangements, out of a total of 477 appointees who had completed 12 years of service.
The disengaged employees have been put to starvation due to untimely disengagement, without waiting for the final outcome of SRO-384 sub-judice with the Supreme Court of India.
They said that the “tug of war” between the disengaged staff and GMC Srinagar has become a major hurdle in catering to the patient care services in the associated hospitals.
The disengaged paramedical and nursing staff have been claiming to be similarly placed with other 384 staffers hired on academic arrangement basis since 2011.
As per them, the status quo ordered by Supreme Court in favour of other similarly placed 384 paramedics (continuing their services) was not extended to them as “their names were excluded from initial SLP by other applicants” due to delays in covering litigation charges.
The 93 disengaged staff have been requesting the authorities for continuation of their services until the final outcome of the case pending with the Supreme Court, as they have been disengaged “against the principle of natural justice” and left vulnerable.
As per the disengaged 93 paramedics and nursing staff, they along with their families have been put to starvation and they are undergoing mental trauma.
The disengaged paramedical staff said they have been left in lurch stating that they have worked in tough times like 2014 floods, 2016 unrest and 2019 Covid-19 lockdown. They said they see a dark future ahead as they have no other way to go as most of them have crossed their age eligibility to apply for fresh posts.
The disengaged paramedics had been requesting LG and Chief Minister to revoke the “harsh and hasty” order issued by GMC authorities and treat them at par with others engaged with them.
However, three years after their disengagement, GMC Srinagar on 12-03-2025 issued an advertisement notice and invited online applications from eligible candidates of Jammu and Kashmir on academic arrangement for 50 posts of Junior Grade Nurses and ten posts of Laboratory Assistants.
The disengaged employees said that the claim of GMC that they have no vacancies to adjust disengaged 93 is contrary to the said advertisement.
More than a month later (18-04-2025), the High Court of J&K and Ladakh in response to a petition said that subject to objections from other side and till next date of hearing before the Bench, the respondents are directed not to finalize the selection against the posts advertised vide notification No. 06-EC of 2025 dated 08-04-2025.
