SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has referred 480 posts of Medical Officer (Allopathic) to the Jammu Kashmir Public Service Commission, with 416 candidates recommended and 335 Medical Officers appointed so far, the Health and Medical Education Department has informed the Legislative Assembly.
The department said the appointed doctors were being deployed, among other locations, in peripheral, underserved, difficult and far-flung areas according to administrative requirements.
The information was provided in a written reply to a starred question tabled by Wagoora-Kreeri MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone on steps being taken to strengthen the health sector and address shortages of human resources.
The department said manpower positions across health institutions were reviewed periodically and vacancies referred to the concerned recruiting agencies in accordance with recruitment rules and sanctioned strength.
Besides the Medical Officer recruitment, 466 non-gazetted posts have been referred to the JK Services Selection Board (JKSSB), while another 292 non-gazetted posts under the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, MCH Immunisation, have also been referred for recruitment.
According to the government, the recruitment is intended to help fill vacant paramedical posts, particularly in underserved areas.
The National Health Mission (NHM) is also supplementing the regular workforce through additional personnel under various approved programmes, while internal and temporary arrangements are being made where feasible to maintain essential healthcare services.
The government said it was also working on rational deployment of available manpower and strengthening health institutions in phases, taking into account population, workload, geographical conditions and service requirements.
In Wagoora-Kreeri, which has a population of 90,781, the health network comprises one community health centre (CHC), two primary health centres (PHCs), three New Type Primary Health Centres (NTPHCs) and 13 sub-centres, making 19 health facilities in all.
Of these, 11 buildings are government-owned and eight are functioning from rented premises. The department said the lone CHC, both PHCs and all three NTPHCs have government buildings, while five of the 13 sub-centres have government buildings and eight are rented.
At SDH Kreeri, 101 regular posts are sanctioned, of which 64 are occupied, leaving 37 vacant. The facility also has 30 NHM posts, all of which are filled. A new building for the SDH is under construction.
The department said work on SDH Kreeri, Baramulla (Part-II), estimated at Rs 5 crore, was under execution and had been accorded priority under the Special Assistance for Capital Investment (SASCI) programme for fast-track completion.
The government also reported infrastructure work at several other facilities in the constituency. Strengthening of the Rural Health Training Centre at Kalantra, along with construction of a boundary wall, has been completed, with the department putting the expenditure at Rs 199.33 lakh.
A new building for the Wagoora sub-centre has also been completed at a cost of Rs 195.59 lakh, while construction of the Authora Kreeri sub-centre has been taken up under the district sector at an estimated cost of Rs 50 lakh.
Repair and improvement work at NTPHC Baba-Reshi has been completed under the district Capex budget at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. Land has been identified for NTPHC Resraipora, while construction of a Health and Wellness Centre at Chineed is under way at a cost of Rs 50 lakh under the district sector.
The department said Nambinar had one NHM post, which was filled, against three regular posts, of which one was occupied and two were vacant. Its new building has been constructed.
At Baba Reshi, seven regular posts are sanctioned, with five personnel in position and two vacancies. Its new building has also been constructed.
Resraipora has one sanctioned NHM post, which is occupied, and four regular posts, of which two are filled and two vacant. The NTPHC is currently operating from a rented private building, although land for its own facility has been identified.
The government also said the demand to upgrade the Wagoora health facility to a PHC could not be met under the present norms. It said the facility did not qualify for upgradation under the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) 2022.
The department placed the population of Wagoora village at approximately 3,000 and that of adjoining areas at around 7,000. It said Wagoora was 4.5 km from SDH Kreeri, 6.1 km from NTPHC K. Mugam, 5.4 km from PHC Kalantra, 3.2 km from PHC Shrakwara, 3.1 km from an ISM dispensary and 12.7 km from District Hospital Baramulla, according to Google Maps.
Across the health institutions covered in the annexure for the constituency, 155 regular posts are sanctioned, with 113 personnel in position and 48 vacancies. Under NHM, 70 posts are sanctioned, of which 64 are occupied and six remain vacant.
The regular staffing position includes six vacant consultant posts against 12 sanctioned positions, seven vacant Medical Officer posts against 26 sanctioned positions and 35 vacancies among paramedic and other posts against 115 sanctioned positions. Two sanctioned Dental Surgeon posts are fully staffed.
The government has also outlined infrastructure and equipment measures for SDH Sopore and Government Medical College (GMC) Baramulla.
At SDH Sopore, mechanical work under the UT Capex programme has an approved cost of Rs 404 lakh, against which Rs 264.63 lakh had been spent by March 31, 2026. Rs 50 lakh has been approved for the work during 2026-27.
Balance civil and mechanical works under SASCI have an approved cost of Rs 390.89 lakh, with cumulative expenditure of Rs 90.88 lakh and Rs 200 lakh approved for 2026-27.
The department also listed another work with an approved cost of Rs 60.53 lakh, against which no expenditure had been recorded by March 31, 2026, with Rs 30 lakh approved for 2026-27. Construction of doctors’ residential quarters at SDH Sopore, estimated at Rs 230 lakh, is also under execution, with Rs 40 lakh approved for the current financial year.
For GMC Baramulla, the government has earmarked Rs 32 crore under the 2026-27 Capex Budget to strengthen and upgrade diagnostic healthcare facilities and procure machinery and equipment.
The proposed procurement includes a Cath Lab and a 1.5 Tesla MRI system, with both listed as being under procurement through the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (J&KMSCL). A further Rs 80.58 lakh has been earmarked for urgent procurement of essential machinery and equipment.
The government said expansion of GMC Baramulla through additional land was being pursued with the Industries and Commerce Department. The matter, according to the reply, was under process with the Director, Industries and Commerce, Kashmir, and the District Administration, Baramulla.
A detailed project report estimated at Rs 15.98 crore has also been forwarded to the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works (Roads and Buildings) Department for technical vetting for strengthening and upgrading the sewage treatment plant at GMC Baramulla.
