SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s health institutions have 12,614 vacant medical and paramedical positions, including 2,891 posts of doctors and 9,723 posts for paramedics and nurses, the government has informed the Legislative Assembly.
The figures were given by the Health and Medical Education Department in a written reply to a starred question by MLA Agha Syed Muntazir Mehdi on vacancies in the health sector.
The department said the government was addressing the manpower shortage through regular recruitment as well as interim arrangements pending appointments.
It said 416 Medical Officers selected through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission had been received by the department, with appointment orders issued for 335 candidates. The remaining cases are under process.
The government further said 1,567 paramedical and non-gazetted posts had been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board for selection of suitable candidates.
Pending regular recruitment, personnel are also being engaged through the National Health Mission and on an academic arrangement basis, wherever feasible and administratively permissible, the department said.
The reply included sanctioned-strength and staff-in-position details for major health institutions and organisations, including SKIMS, the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, the Directorate of AYUSH and Government Medical Colleges and their associated institutions.
The government said the recruitment process would continue through the regular mechanism, while interim arrangements would be used where necessary to address existing staffing gaps.
