SRINAGAR: As many as 320 posts are lying vacant across Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) in North Kashmir, with government data showing significant gaps in both medical and paramedical manpower at several health institutions.
The figures form part of an institution-wise assessment of staff strength submitted by the Health and Medical Education Department in response to an Assembly question. The annexure covering SDHs in Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts shows 701 sanctioned posts, of which 381 are presently filled, leaving 320 vacancies.
The vacancies include posts of medical officers as well as paramedical staff. According to the department’s consolidated figures, 107 consultant posts were sanctioned, 50 are in position and 53 are vacant, while 213 paramedical posts are sanctioned, 174 are occupied and 39 remain vacant.
The institution-wise figures show considerable variation among the hospitals.
In Gurez, five consultant posts are sanctioned, with three in position and two vacant, while the hospital has 11 sanctioned medical officer posts, seven of which are occupied and four vacant. The hospital has 27 sanctioned paramedical posts, with 21 staff in position and six vacancies.
At Pattan, five medical officer posts are sanctioned, four are occupied and one is vacant. The hospital has 11 sanctioned paramedical posts, with six in position and five vacant.
Rohama has five sanctioned medical officer posts, two in position and three vacant, while six paramedical posts are sanctioned, five occupied and one vacant. The hospital’s wider sanctioned strength is listed at 32 posts, of which 17 are shown in position and 15 vacant.
At Kreeri, 12 medical officer posts are sanctioned, six are filled and six remain vacant. Of 16 sanctioned paramedical posts, all are shown as filled in the annexure. The overall sanctioned strength of the institution is listed at 73, with 53 staff in position and 20 vacancies.
The figures for Tangmarg show 11 sanctioned medical officer posts, four in position and seven vacant, while 33 paramedical posts are sanctioned, 30 occupied and three vacant. The hospital has an overall sanctioned strength of 117, with 99 staff in position and 18 vacancies.
At Chandoosa, 10 medical officer posts are sanctioned, seven occupied and three vacant. Of 11 paramedical posts, nine are in position and two vacant, while the overall sanctioned strength is 23, with 23 posts shown against the institution.
Uri has five sanctioned medical officer posts, three in position and two vacant. Its 12 sanctioned paramedical posts are all shown as filled, while the overall staff strength stands at 38 sanctioned posts, with nine vacancies.
The situation is also reflected in Kupwara district, where the annexure lists several SDHs with vacant medical and paramedical posts.
At Kupwara SDH, 11 medical officer posts are sanctioned, four are occupied and seven vacant. Of 19 sanctioned paramedical posts, 15 are filled, leaving five vacant. The overall sanctioned strength is shown as 58, with 36 staff in position and 22 vacancies.
At Tangdar, three medical officer posts are vacant out of three sanctioned, while five of the 11 paramedical posts are vacant. The hospital has 29 sanctioned posts overall, with 22 staff in position and seven vacancies.
Kralgund has no consultant or medical officer posts shown as occupied in the annexure; its paramedical strength includes four sanctioned posts, two in position and two vacant. The overall sanctioned strength is 17, with six staff in position and 11 vacancies.
At Langate, five medical officer posts are sanctioned, two are in position and three vacant. Of 10 paramedical posts, five are occupied and five vacant. The overall sanctioned strength is listed at 27, with 18 staff in position and nine vacancies.
Kralpora has seven sanctioned medical officer posts, three occupied and four vacant. Of 11 paramedical posts, nine are in position and two vacant. Its overall sanctioned strength is 29, with 15 staff in position and 14 vacancies.
At Zachaldara, no medical officer post is shown as filled against the sanctioned strength, while seven paramedical posts are sanctioned, three occupied and four vacant. The hospital has 23 sanctioned posts overall, with five in position and 18 vacant.
Vilgam has no medical officer posts shown as occupied, while two paramedical posts are sanctioned and both are shown as vacant. Its overall sanctioned strength is 10, with six staff in position and four vacancies.
At Sogam, 10 medical officer posts are sanctioned, four occupied and six vacant. Of 11 paramedical posts, eight are in position and three vacant. The overall sanctioned strength is 27, with seven vacancies.
The department has also provided patient-flow figures for the SDHs, indicating that several of these institutions cater to substantial numbers of patients. The annexure records monthly patient inflow figures including 40,364 at Pattan, 25,604 at Rohama, 7,384 at Kreeri, 15,105 at Tangmarg, 20,839 at Chandoosa, 5,901 at Uri, 33,000 at Kupwara, 11,300 at Sopore, 9,500 at Tangdar and 10,500 at Sogam.
The manpower figures come amid a broader recruitment exercise by the Health and Medical Education Department. In another response, the department said that 480 Medical Officer posts had been referred to the J&K Public Service Commission, against which selection of 416 candidates had been received, while appointment orders had been issued for 335 Medical Officers. The newly appointed doctors are to be deployed, subject to availability of sanctioned posts, in peripheral and underserved health institutions facing shortages.
The department has also said that recruitment measures are being undertaken for non-gazetted and paramedical manpower. In a separate response, it stated that 290 non-gazetted posts pertaining to Jammu Division had already been referred to the J&K Services Selection Board, with the recruitment process under way. It also said additional vacant posts were under examination at the administrative level for referral to the recruitment board after obtaining the required concurrence.
The North Kashmir SDH data, however, underline the continuing manpower gaps at the secondary healthcare level, particularly in several peripheral and far-flung institutions where the department itself has acknowledged the need to strengthen staffing.
The figures also show that the vacancy burden is not uniform, with some hospitals recording relatively modest gaps while others have a substantial proportion of their sanctioned strength unfilled. The department has stated that recruitment and rational deployment of available manpower are being pursued in accordance with sanctioned posts, prescribed recruitment procedures and resource availability.
