40 Sr Specialists, 393 Consultants, 840 Medical Officers and 6,248 paramedical posts unfilled
Rattan Singh Gill
Jammu/Srinagar, Sep 25: The government’s own figures have laid bare the scale of the manpower crisis confronting Jammu and Kashmir’s public healthcare system, with 40 senior specialist, 393 consultant, 840 Medical Officer and 6,248 paramedical and other staff posts lying vacant.
For thousands of patients who depend on government hospitals, particularly those from poor and far-flung areas, the numbers are not merely statistics. They translate into pressure on the available workforce, longer waits for consultations and investigations, difficulty in accessing specialist services and an increased burden on already stretched health institutions.
The figures were shared by the Health and Medical Education Department in response to a starred question raised by MLA Saifullah in the Legislative Assembly.
According to the government, only 11 senior specialists are in position against 51 sanctioned posts, leaving 40 vacancies. Similarly, 543 consultants are working against 936 sanctioned posts, leaving a shortfall of 393.
Of the 2,859 sanctioned Medical Officer posts, 2,019 are currently filled, leaving 840 vacant.
The government said appointment orders have recently been issued for 335 Medical Officers selected through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). They will be posted on priority to peripheral, far-flung and underserved areas facing acute shortages.
The move may provide some relief, but the scale of the vacancies raises questions about how long patients in understaffed institutions have already been expected to cope with the shortage.
The Dental Surgeon cadre, however, has no vacancy, with all 486 sanctioned posts filled.
The largest manpower gap is in the paramedical and other staff category. Against 18,745 sanctioned posts, only 12,497 employees are in position, leaving 6,248 vacancies.
For patients, the shortage of this category is particularly significant as nurses, technicians, support personnel, sanitation workers and other frontline staff form the backbone of day-to-day hospital functioning.
To address the shortages, 466 non-gazetted posts in Kashmir Division have been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for recruitment. In addition, 292 vacancies under Family Welfare, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and Immunisation programmes, along with 290 non-gazetted and paramedical posts under the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, have also been referred to the board.
The government said another 839 non-gazetted posts and 261 Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS)/Class-IV vacancies in Jammu Division are proposed to be referred to the JKSSB after completion of the required formalities.
While recruitment proposals and appointment orders offer a possible way forward, the immediate question for the public remains how existing hospitals and health centres are expected to deliver timely and quality services when a substantial portion of their sanctioned manpower is unavailable.
The department said proposals for opening or upgrading health institutions are assessed on the basis of population, patient load, manpower requirements, infrastructure, availability of land and budgetary considerations.
It also said J&K has nearly one health facility for every 3,500 people, compared with the national average of around one facility for every 6,000 people, and maintained that the focus remains on strengthening and optimally utilising existing institutions.
However, the availability of a health facility on paper does not by itself guarantee adequate healthcare unless doctors, specialists, nurses, technicians and support staff are available to operate it effectively. This is where the government’s own vacancy figures assume significance.
Specialist services are being expanded through the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) programme, which is operational in 22 institutions with 408 approved seats. As many as 608 residents are currently undergoing training, while 338 specialists have passed out under the programme, the government said.
It added that 620 postgraduate residents have been deployed under the District Residency Programme to strengthen specialist services at District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals and Community Health Centres.
The government also highlighted the expansion of e-Sanjeevani services, which have recorded 16.11 lakh tele-consultations. Tele-radiology services have meanwhile been extended to 95 healthcare facilities.
The Tele-MANAS Cell at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), GMC Srinagar, has registered 1.73 lakh calls and continues to provide round-the-clock mental health tele-consultation services across J&K, it said.
The department maintained that efforts are focused on filling vacancies, strengthening existing infrastructure and improving access to healthcare, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
For the public, however, the central issue remains immediate access to functioning healthcare. With thousands of sanctioned posts still vacant, the government’s challenge is not merely to create institutions and announce programmes, but to ensure that adequate personnel are actually available when a patient walks through the hospital door.