SRINAGAR: Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) in Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts record more than 1.7 lakh patient visits a month, while 412 posts of consultants, Medical Officers and paramedical staff are vacant across the listed facilities, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has informed the Legislative Assembly.
The figures were provided by the Health and Medical Education Department in reply to a starred question by Sopore MLA Irshad Rasool Kar on patient inflow, staffing shortages and referrals for serious illnesses at healthcare institutions in the three north Kashmir districts.
According to the government’s data, the 17 SDHs listed in the reply collectively receive 1,74,680 patients in a month. Baramulla accounts for the largest share, with seven SDHs reporting a combined monthly patient inflow of 1,30,561.
SDH Sopore has the highest reported monthly inflow at 40,364 patients, followed by SDH Pattan with 25,604, Tangmarg with 20,839, Kreeri with 15,105, Rohama with 7,384, Uri with 7,364 and Chandoosa with 5,901.
In Kupwara district, eight SDHs report a combined monthly inflow of 40,700 patients. SDH Kupwara records 33,000 patients a month, followed by Tangdar at 11,300, Sogam at 10,500, Kralpora at 9,500, Langate at 6,000, Kralgund at 3,900, Vilgam at 3,000 and Zachaldara at 1,500.
The only facility listed for Bandipora is SDH Gurez, which reports a monthly patient inflow of 2,323.
The staffing data shows shortages across all three categories covered in the annexure. Against 107 sanctioned consultant posts, 50 are in position and 53 are vacant. Of 213 sanctioned Medical Officer posts, 174 are filled and 39 remain vacant. The paramedical category has 701 sanctioned posts, of which 381 are occupied and 320 are vacant.
SDH Sopore has eight vacant consultant posts, two vacant Medical Officer posts and 59 vacant paramedical posts. It has 16 sanctioned consultant positions, eight in position; 31 sanctioned Medical Officer posts, 29 filled; and 98 sanctioned paramedical posts, 39 occupied.
At SDH Gurez, three of five consultant posts, four of 11 Medical Officer posts and 21 of 27 paramedical posts are vacant.
Among the Kupwara facilities, SDH Tangdar has three vacant consultant posts, five vacant Medical Officer posts and 22 vacant paramedical posts. SDH Kupwara has seven consultant, four Medical Officer and 22 paramedical vacancies.
SDH Langate has four vacant consultant posts, five Medical Officer vacancies and nine vacant paramedical positions. Kralpora has four consultant, two Medical Officer and 14 paramedical vacancies, while Zachaldara has four vacant Medical Officer posts and 18 vacant paramedical posts. Vilgam has four vacant Medical Officer posts and four paramedical vacancies, while Sogam has six consultant, one Medical Officer and 20 paramedical posts vacant.
In Baramulla, SDH Kreeri has six vacant consultant and 20 paramedical posts, while Tangmarg has three vacant consultant, three Medical Officer and 18 paramedical posts according to the government’s annexure. Pattan has one vacant consultant and 13 paramedical posts, while Rohama has three consultant, one Medical Officer and 15 paramedical vacancies.
At Chandoosa, three consultant, two Medical Officer and 25 paramedical posts are vacant. Uri has two vacant consultant posts and 29 vacant paramedical posts.
The government also provided data on cancer, heart attack and brain haemorrhage cases at Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara for 2023-25. In 2023, 40 cancer patients, 195 heart attack patients and 85 brain haemorrhage patients were referred. The corresponding figures for 2024 were 50, 200 and 90, while in 2025 they stood at 40, 190 and 80 respectively.
For GMC Baramulla, the department reported 243 cancer cases, of which 20 were referred. It recorded 1,063 heart attack cases, all of which were referred, and 365 brain haemorrhage cases, all referred.
On the status of SDH Sopore and the proposal to declare it a district hospital, the government said District Hospital Baramulla had previously served as the district-level secondary healthcare institution.
It said GMC Baramulla was subsequently established under the centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for setting up new medical colleges attached to existing district or referral hospitals, with District Hospital Baramulla made its associated hospital.
According to the government, this resulted in the institution being upgraded to provide tertiary healthcare services and expanded the range and volume of services available to the public.
Regarding SDH Sopore, the department said it was taking steps to improve infrastructure and strengthen its facilities and services in line with the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS)-2022, taking into account patient workload, service requirements and available resources.
