J&K’s new medical colleges create 7,000 health sector jobs

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has started the process for creation of over 7000 health sector jobs of faculty and technical staff for five new medical colleges coming up in the state, a move expected to boost the state’s health sector.

Official sources said the Planning Department is currently examining the proposals submitted by Government Medical College Srinagar for creation of posts for the new medical colleges.

For each medical college, a requirement of 675 positions of faculty and technical staff has been calculated based upon the intake capacity of 100 MBBS students. “For five medical colleges, a total of 3300 health sector jobs have been proposed which includes the staff required at various levels, including the paramedic staff,” said the sources.

An official said the hospitals that will function under these colleges would be upgraded and augmented with around 4,000 new positions of both doctors, nurses, paramedics and other supporting staff.

“The medical colleges will need to put this human resource in place well before starting an academic session,” said the official.

In 2014, the then union Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced five new medical colleges for J&K at Baramulla and Anantnag in Kashmir and Rajouri, Kathua and Doda in Jammu to give a boost to state’s health sector, as part of a centrally-sponsored scheme. However since the announcement, little progress has been seen on setting up these colleges.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti recently called for expediting work on establishment of these colleges to augment medical education and healthcare facilities in the State.

An official said Rs 189 crore each has already been earmarked for each college with a funding pattern of 90:10 (Centre:State) including Rs 69 crore for construction of medical college, Rs 40 crore for construction of hostel and residence for students/faculty, Rs 30 crore for up-gradation of teaching/district hospital and Rs 50 crore for procurement of machinery and equipment.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda is expected to lay foundation of two medical colleges at Doda and Kathua on June 10, along with chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. The foundation of three medical colleges located at Dailgam in Anantnag; Kanth Bagh in Baramulla and Mehra Nagrota in Rajouri were laid by Nadda in May 2016.

The official said civil works have already been taken up for the three colleges. At Baramulla and Anantnag, the projects are being executed by JKPCC and at Rajouri, the State R&B department has been allotted the civil component of the project. (GKNN)