SRINAGAR: As many as 320 of 701 sanctioned paramedical posts are vacant across 17 Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) in Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora, leaving nearly 46 per cent of the sanctioned strength unfilled, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has informed the Legislative Assembly.
The hospitals collectively receive 203,584 patients a month, according to figures provided by the Health and Medical Education Department in reply to a starred question by Sopore MLA Irshad Rasool Kar.
The staffing data shows 53 of 107 sanctioned consultant posts are vacant, while 39 of 213 Medical Officer posts are unfilled. Overall, 412 of 1,021 sanctioned posts across the three categories remain vacant.
Baramulla’s SDHs account for the highest patient load, with seven hospitals reporting a combined monthly inflow of 122,561 patients. Sopore records the highest individual figure at 40,364 patients a month, followed by Pattan at 25,604 and Tangmarg at 20,839.
Sopore also has eight vacant consultant posts, two vacant Medical Officer posts and 59 vacant paramedical posts against 98 sanctioned positions.
In Kupwara, the eight SDHs together report a monthly patient inflow of 78,700. Kupwara SDH has the highest load in the district at 33,000 patients a month and has seven consultant, four Medical Officer and 22 paramedical posts vacant.
Tangdar has no consultant in position against three sanctioned posts and has five vacant Medical Officer and 22 vacant paramedical posts.
Bandipora’s Gurez SDH reports a monthly patient inflow of 2,323. Of its 27 sanctioned paramedical posts, 21 are vacant, while three of five consultant posts and four of 11 Medical Officer posts are also unfilled.
Among the 17 hospitals, the department has reported no consultant posts at Kralgund, Zachaldara and Vilgam, where no consultant posts have been sanctioned at the latter two and Kralgund has no sanctioned consultant position either.
The figures also show substantial variation in paramedical vacancies. Sopore has 59 vacant posts, followed by Uri with 29 and Chandoosa with 25. Gurez has 21 vacancies against 27 sanctioned posts, while Zachaldara has 18 vacancies against 23 sanctioned posts.
On cases of cancer, heart attack and brain haemorrhage, the Government’s reply provides figures from Government Medical College Handwara and GMC Baramulla rather than all healthcare institutions in Baramulla and Kupwara as sought in the Assembly question.
At GMC Handwara, 130 cancer patients, 585 heart-attack patients and 255 brain-haemorrhage patients were referred during 2023-25, based on the annual figures supplied by the department.
GMC Baramulla reported 243 cancer cases, 1,063 heart attacks and 365 brain-haemorrhage cases. Of these, 20 cancer patients and all 1,063 heart-attack and 365 brain-haemorrhage cases were referred, according to the Government’s reply.
On the long-pending proposal to declare SDH Sopore a district hospital, the Government said GMC Baramulla had been established with the existing District Hospital Baramulla as its associated hospital, resulting in its upgrade for tertiary healthcare services.
It said the department was working to strengthen SDH Sopore’s infrastructure and services in line with IPHS-2022 norms, taking into account patient workload, service requirements and available resources.
