J-K and Ladakh HC Seeks Report on Shortage of Medical Officers and Staff

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court recently asked the state government to submit a detailed action taken report on the acute shortage of medical officers and staff in the region

A bench comprising Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh & Justice M A Chowdhary issued the directive while considering a PIL filed in 2018 by RTI Activist Balwinder Singh.

The PIL highlights the acute shortage of Medical Officers and Paramedical Staff in various Health Institutions of J&K, especially in remote areas of Jammu Province.

The PIL is based on information obtained under the RTI Act, which revealed that several Districts in Jammu Province are facing a sixty to seventy percent shortfall of Doctors and Paramedical staff.

During the hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, along with Advocates Rahul Raina, Supriya Chouhan, and Mohd Zulkarnain Chowdhary, drew the Court’s attention to the recent status report filed by the Health and Medical Education Department, J&K. The report presented a comparative statement highlighting the availability of Doctors and Paramedical Staff in Jammu and Kashmir provinces.

According to the status report signed by the Deputy Secretary to Health Department on May 29, there is a significant difference in staff strength between the two divisions. In Jammu Division, out of the total sanctioned strength of 1,390 Medical Officer posts, only 726 are currently occupied, leaving 664 vacancies. Additionally, for non-gazetted and Class IV Employees in Jammu Division, there are 2,489 vacant positions out of the sanctioned 6,868 posts.

In contrast, the situation in Kashmir Division appears more favorable with 1,395 Medical Officers currently in position out of the total sanctioned strength of 1,467, leaving 72 vacancies. For non-gazetted and Class IV Employees in Kashmir Division, 5,976 out of 8,628 sanctioned posts are filled, while 2,651 positions remain vacant.

The court expressed concern over the “skewed figure” and directed the authorities to take necessary steps to fill up the vacancies in both provinces. The bench specifically requested detailed information on the measures being taken in far-flung areas such as Reasi, Poonch, Ramban, Kupwara, Baramulla, etc., where the shortage appears to be even more significant. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on August 28, 2023.