SRINAGAR: Hospitals in the Jammu division are struggling with a severe shortage of medical staff, with 645 medical officer positions and 157 consultant positions currently vacant.
The information was obtained through a Right to Information Act (RTI) application filed by social activist MM Shuja.
As per the RTI, authorities at the Directorate of Health Services Jammu revealed that these vacancies are straining healthcare facilities, leading to increased workloads for existing staff and causing delays in patient care.
The shortage has become even more critical amid the global health challenges faced by the healthcare workforce.
Authorities disclosed that steps have been taken to address the shortage, including initiating the recruitment process and referring the vacancies to the recruiting agency. However, the overall scenario remains challenging, with around 4,000 gazetted and non-gazetted posts lying vacant in the health department in the Jammu division, significantly impacting healthcare services.
These issues have become a top priority for health authorities, who are now actively exploring strategies to attract and retain skilled healthcare professionals, they said—(KNO)
