SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s health sector has 7,521 vacant posts across senior consultants, consultants, Medical Officers and paramedical and other staff categories, according to a government reply tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The figures were provided by the Health and Medical Education Department in response to Starred AQ No. 1/6/104, tabled by MLA Saifullah, concerning deficiencies in manpower and infrastructure and the upgradation of health institutions across J&K.
The department has 51 sanctioned posts of Senior Consultants, of which 11 are filled and 40 remain vacant. Of the 936 sanctioned Consultant posts, 543 are occupied and 393 are vacant.
There are 2,859 sanctioned Medical Officer posts, with 2,019 in position and 840 vacant. However, the department said appointment orders had recently been issued for 335 Medical Officers.
The largest shortfall is among paramedical and other staff, with 6,248 vacancies against 18,745 sanctioned posts. The department said 12,497 personnel are currently in position.
All 486 sanctioned Dental Surgeon posts are filled, according to the reply.
The government said 480 Medical Officer posts had been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), which returned a selection list containing 416 candidates. Appointment orders have since been issued for 335 doctors.
These doctors are expected to be posted in peripheral, far-flung and underserved areas where there is an acute shortage of medical officers, the department said.
For non-gazetted positions in Kashmir division, 466 vacancies have recently been referred to the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB). The department said successful candidates would be posted to remote and underserved areas and health institutions facing staff shortages after the recruitment process is completed.
A further 292 vacancies in Family Welfare, Maternity and Child Health and Immunisation, J&K, along with 290 non-gazetted and paramedical vacancies under the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, have also been referred to JKSSB.
The department said another 839 non-gazetted vacancies and 261 Multi-Tasking Staff (Class-IV) posts in Jammu division were under examination at the administrative level. These posts will be referred to JKSSB for recruitment after obtaining concurrence from the Finance Department.
On the availability of health institutions, the government said requests for establishing new facilities or upgrading existing ones are assessed against factors including geographical feasibility, population, patient load, manpower, equipment, availability of encumbrance-free land, the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) 2022, budgetary requirements and administrative clearances.
The department said J&K has approximately one health facility for every 3,500 people, compared with a national average of around one for every 6,000 people.
It said that, following an assurance given by the Health and Medical Education Minister in the Assembly, the current focus was on consolidating, strengthening and making optimal use of existing facilities, while addressing critical gaps in remote and far-flung areas.
Specialist services are being expanded through the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) programme. The programme is currently operational in 22 institutions, with 408 approved seats. The department said 608 residents were under training and 338 specialists had completed the programme.
Under the District Residency Programme, postgraduate residents are required to undergo three-month postings at District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals and Community Health Centres. A total of 620 postgraduate residents have been assigned to designated hospitals under the programme.
The government also cited expansion of e-Sanjeevani as part of its strategy for improving access to healthcare in remote areas. The telemedicine service is currently operating through 31 hubs, 674 spoke-cum-hubs and 1,839 spokes, and has recorded 16.11 lakh cumulative teleconsultations.
Tele-radiology has also been extended to 95 healthcare facilities, while Mobile Medical Units are being considered to improve outreach to remote and underserved populations.
Mental healthcare access has been expanded through the Tele-MANAS Cell at the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), GMC Srinagar. The department said the facility provides round-the-clock teleconsultation services at the UT level and had registered 1,72,994 calls as of September 12, 2026.
The government also pointed to financial constraints affecting the creation of new posts. It said the Finance Department had introduced austerity and expenditure-rationalisation measures for 2026-27 through Government Order No. 198-F of 2026, dated May 22, 2026, which includes restrictions on the creation of new posts.
The department said its present strategy was therefore centred on strengthening existing infrastructure and manpower, filling critical service gaps, increasing specialist availability, expanding digital healthcare services and improving access in remote and underserved areas.
