SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s Health and Medical Education Department has said there are over 3,600 vacant posts of paramedics and 119 vacancies of medicos across health institutions in the Union Territory.
According to official data, a total of 3,616 non-gazetted (paramedical) posts and 119 gazetted (medical officer and specialist) posts are presently vacant in the health sector. Out of these, 772 paramedical and 197 medical posts fall under the non-National Health Mission (NHM) side, while 2,844 paramedical and 138 medical posts remain vacant under the NHM side.
The department informed that 29 vacancies of paramedics, including those from Kupwara district, have already been referred to the Finance Department for onward referral to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for advertisement and recruitment.
On the gazetted side, which includes doctors and other medical officers, the department said that 19 posts have been referred to the Public Service Commission (PSC), while other vacancies arising from time to time are under active consideration for referral to the Commission.
Officials added that as an interim measure, divisional-level arrangements are being made to meet healthcare needs through academic arrangements until the regular recruitment process is completed.
The Health Department said that filling these vacancies remains a priority, given the staffing shortfall in several peripheral and rural health institutions across the Union Territory. A detailed recruitment timeline is expected once the pending posts are cleared by the Finance Department and advertised by the PSC and JKSSB.
