WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The Health and Medical Education Department has revealed that a total of 9,358 posts are lying vacant across various health institutions and medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, underscoring a significant manpower shortage in the Union Territory’s healthcare system.
According to the official data tabled in the Legislative Assembly, the Kashmir Division has a total of 2,954 vacant posts across its districts.
These include 24 medical and 117 paramedical in Ganderbal, 58 medical and 366 paramedical in Budgam, 40 medical and 382 paramedical in Anantnag, 52 medical and 278 paramedical in Pulwama, 25 medical and 116 paramedical in Shopian, 40 medical and 268 paramedical in Kulgam, 70 medical and 389 paramedical in Baramulla, 69 medical and 331 paramedical in Kupwara, 36 medical and 177 paramedical in Bandipora, and 0 medical and 116 paramedical in Srinagar.
In the Jammu Division, there are 2,013 vacant posts. The district-wise breakup shows 79 medical and 370 paramedical vacancies in Jammu, 23 medical and 143 paramedical in Samba, 38 medical and 263 paramedical in Kathua, 35 medical and 167 paramedical in Udhampur, 41 medical and 157 paramedical in Reasi, 35 medical and 124 paramedical in Ramban, 23 medical and 41 paramedical in Doda, 22 medical and 67 paramedical in Kishtwar, 53 medical and 162 paramedical in Rajouri, and 37 medical and 133 paramedical in Poonch.
Apart from the district-level vacancies, the data also reveals large staffing gaps in Government Medical Colleges (GMCs). GMC Jammu has 335 gazetted and 1,426 non-gazetted vacancies, GMC Kathua has 82 gazetted and 267 non-gazetted, GMC Doda has 124 gazetted and 128 non-gazetted, GMC Rajouri has 129 gazetted and 62 non-gazetted, and GMC Udhampur has 146 gazetted vacancies. In the Kashmir Division, GMC Srinagar has 168 gazetted and 409 non-gazetted vacancies, GMC Anantnag has 89 gazetted and 271 non-gazetted, GMC Baramulla has 112 gazetted and 249 non-gazetted, and GMC Handwara has 153 gazetted and 241 non-gazetted.
Overall, there are 2,954 vacant posts in the Kashmir Division, 2,013 in the Jammu Division, and 4,391 in the Government Medical Colleges, bringing the total number of unfilled posts across Jammu and Kashmir’s health sector to 9,358.
To address the shortage of staff in health institutions, the government has initiated several measures aimed at filling the vacant positions. The Health and Medical Education Department has identified 480 new vacancies of Medical Officers and is in the process of referring them to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (J&K PSC) for recruitment. In addition, 133 backlog posts are being re-examined for fresh referral to the Commission. The department has also referred 292 non-gazetted and paramedical vacancies to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (J&K SSB) for recruitment. Pending these regular appointments, the government continues to make temporary arrangements by engaging doctors and paramedical staff under the National Health Mission (NHM) and through academic or contractual appointments to ensure that health services remain functional, especially in peripheral and remote areas of the Union Territory.
