SrinagarGovernment is set to create hundreds of new posts of doctors and paramedics to overcome shortage of staff in hospitals and health care centres in Jammu and Kashmir.
A senior official of the Health Department said that Health Department has given nod for creation of new posts for doctors and paramedics in Jammu and Kashmir. The Health Department sent file for creation of new posts to Chief Ministers office for approval, the official said. Once the CMs office gives its nod, the file will be forwarded to Finance Department for final approval and notification will be issued accordingly and recruitment agencies will make the selection process.
For National Rural Health Mission, posts for 100 doctors and 500 para-medics have been created for the last few years, he said.
Since 2016, the official said that 371 doctors and paramedics have been recruited in the state.
Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Aesia Naqash, said that all these measures are being taken to overcome understaffed healthcare centres of the state. We are committed to work for the betterment of the healthcare system, she said. She confirmed that file of creation of new posts has been submitted to CMs office for final approval. Creation of new posts is necessary to overcome shortage of doctors and paramedics, she said.
Sources said that government was also going for a major reshuffle to strengthen the understaffed health care centres in far-flung areas in J&K.
Those doctors who have served in cities only will be sent to rural areas to strengthen the understaffed hospitals in rural areas. Every doctor has to serve now some time in rural area, the official said.
The official said there was a shortage of over 1500 doctors in rural areas of the state. There is a sanctioned strength nearly 1500 doctors for valley hospitals run by the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) but only 900 doctors are available for duty while rest are either absent or deputed on choice postings in Medical Colleges and other departments, the official said.
Official sources said the doctor patient ratio in J&K is 1:2104 as against the recommendations of World Health Organization (WHO) of 1:1000, which is grossly in-sufficient.
The Health department over the years has seen less recruitment of doctors thereby letting patients suffer. The doctors are also unwilling to serve in remote areas and instead prefer to serve in urban areas and many give up their jobs to move outside the state, an official said.
The Health and Medical Education Department recently directed officers that they should ensure that the places where two or more persons have been posted against one sanctioned post, the one who have a longer stay should be transferred out only if he/she has completed a minimum tenure of two years there.
All such doctors-paramedics hospitals staff except for those appointed under RBA/ALC categories and serving in such areas who have completed more than five years of tenure in a health institution, shall be shifted and action shall be taken under rules, a recent circular of the government said.
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