NOV 12: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and former vice-chairman Balbir Ram Rattan questioned National Conference (NC) government, what concrete steps it had taken during its one year of governance to fill the thousands of vacant posts in Government Medical Colleges (GMCs). He said that in Jammu and Kashmir’s Government Medical Colleges, more than 5,000 sanctioned posts have been lying vacant for a long time, which has not only affected patient care but also seriously impacted the quality of medical education.
Balbir Ram Rattan said that from Jammu to Baramulla, all Government Medical Colleges are functioning at almost half of their sanctioned capacity.
“Every college faces an acute shortage of faculty, resident doctors, paramedical staff, nursing personnel, technical, and supporting employees, Balbir said, adding that as a result, patients are not getting timely and adequate treatment, while the workload on existing staff has multiplied several times.
The BJP leader alleged that the National Conference government confined itself to mere announcements and failed to launch any recruitment drive in mission mode on the ground. He questioned the NC government, asking it to clarify how many posts in the health sector had actually seen recruitment processes initiated in the past year.
Both the public and patients are suffering, yet no concrete initiative is visible at the government level, he added.
Balbir Ram Rattan said that filling vacant posts in sensitive sectors like healthcare and health education should be the top priority of any government. He appealed the administration to take up this issue in mission mode and start an expedited recruitment process so that people can get relief and hospitals can function normally.
He further said that when there is a shortage of staff in medical colleges, it directly affects patient care.
Balbir added that the BJP has always supported a transparent and merit-based recruitment proces.
He urged all political parties to rise above petty politics and exert pressure on the NC govt to fill the vacant posts at the earliest.
