SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir government has referred 480 Medical Officer (Allopathic) posts to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), with 416 candidates recommended and 335 appointed so far, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo told the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Javaid Ahmad Mirchal during Question Hour, Itoo said the appointments were part of measures being taken to strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in peripheral, underserved, remote and difficult areas.
The minister said the newly appointed doctors would be appropriately deployed, with priority given to health institutions in remote and difficult areas, including those falling under the Additional/ALC category.
The government’s move to fill Medical Officer posts comes amid concerns over manpower shortages at health institutions in difficult areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
Itoo also informed the House that 73 personnel engaged under the National Health Mission (NHM) are presently serving in the Karnah constituency.
She said 466 non-gazetted posts under the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, had also been referred to the recruiting agency for selection.
AYUSH doctors are posted at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Chiterkote, while paramedical staff is available at PHC Chiterkote, PHC Teetwal, PHC Panzgam and PHC Nachiyan, the minister said.
She added that internal arrangements were being made to ensure continuity of healthcare services at institutions where regular doctors are presently unavailable.
On staff attachments, Itoo said no NHM staff member belonging to Block Tangdar and the Karnah constituency is presently attached, deployed or posted outside their respective places of duty anywhere in Kupwara district.
The minister said deployment of regular staff was being examined to ensure equitable distribution of available manpower and minimise shortages at peripheral and difficult-area health institutions.
She reiterated that the government would focus on rational deployment of available personnel, recruitment against sanctioned vacancies and augmentation of manpower under approved NHM programmes to strengthen healthcare delivery in Karnah and other difficult areas.
The measures, she said, would be undertaken subject to applicable norms and availability of resources.
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