NL Correspondent
Jammu Tawi/Srinagar, Sep 25: The manpower situation at Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital Jammu provides another glimpse into the challenges confronting the public healthcare system, with 382 posts lying vacant against a sanctioned strength of 1,071 employees.
The information was provided in the Legislative Assembly in response to a question by MLA Arvind Gupta on manpower, diagnostic facilities, medicines and parking infrastructure at the hospital.
The government said SMGS Hospital is currently functioning as a 993-bed facility after the addition of 243 beds. A proposal for creation of additional manpower for the newly established 243-bed Labour Block has been formulated and is under examination.
Official figures show that only 689 employees are in position against 1,071 sanctioned posts, leaving 382 vacancies — more than one-third of the sanctioned strength.
Among the major gaps, the Nursing Unit has 93 vacancies, Support Staff/MTS 114, Sanitation Unit 65, Gazetted category 18 and Ministerial category 22. The Theatre Unit has 10 vacancies, while the X-ray Unit has four vacancies.
The figures assume greater significance because SMGS Hospital caters to a large number of patients and serves as an important public healthcare institution in Jammu. Any sustained shortage of frontline and support staff inevitably places additional pressure on the personnel who are available and, ultimately, on patients seeking treatment.
The government said a proposal for additional manpower for the newly added Labour Block is under examination. For patients and families already dependent on the hospital, however, the concern is not only future expansion but whether existing facilities are adequately staffed today.
On diagnostic facilities, the government said a new CT scan and Digital Radiography (DR) system have already been installed.
Regarding the MRI facility, it said the proposal is under process and the machine is proposed to be provided by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) under its CSR initiative.
The government said the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) is supplying medicines and consumables to the hospital and efforts are underway to ensure uninterrupted availability of essential drugs and supplies.
On parking, it said a proposal for construction of a multi-tier parking facility within the hospital premises has already been approved by the Housing and Urban Development Department and further action for its implementation is underway.
The government’s response thus presents a picture of expansion and proposed improvements alongside a substantial manpower deficit. For ordinary patients, the distinction between a sanctioned post and an employee actually available for service is crucial.
The larger public concern is therefore whether expansion of beds, diagnostic equipment and infrastructure can translate into better healthcare without simultaneously ensuring adequate doctors, nurses, technicians, sanitation workers and other frontline personnel.
The government’s own figures indicate that the manpower gap remains a major challenge. For patients arriving at public hospitals with illness, emergencies and limited alternatives, the expectation is simple: that the system should be adequately staffed, functional and responsive when care is needed.