Nitesh Sangral
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 7: espite being pulled up by Division Bench of J&K High Court, State Health Department is unmoved as it has not filled up vacant posts in various hospitals. Pertinently, in August 2015, court had taken a suo-moto cognizance of Public Interest Litigation (PIL)about not a single doctor being available in 15 PHCs of Udhampur district and the sweepers are managing the sub-centres at many places due to want of doctors and paramedical staff, the court had directed the Health department to fill up all vacant posts within three months. Since then one year has passed and department has not done anything to implement the court directions. "Nearly 1596 posts of doctors and 2885 posts of para-medical staff are lying vacant in numerous health institutions of the state," sources told Early Times . In Jammu division, against sanctioned posts of 2015, 878 posts of doctors are lying vacant while as in Kashmir division the number of vacant posts is 718 as against sanctioned strength of 2437. As per the break-up, 24 posts are lying vacant in Jammu district, 129 in Doda, 125 in Kathua, 58 in Kishtwar, 136 in Poonch, 137 in Rajouri, 74 in Ramban, 62 in Reasi, 25 in Samba and 88 in Udhampur district. Similarly, in Kashmir division, 72 posts are lying vacant in Pulwama, 19 in Ganderbal, 119 in Baramulla, 143 in Kupwara, 41 in Bandipora, 60 in Kulgam, 20 in Shopian, 63 in Anantnag, 71 in Budgam, 76 in Kargil and 59 in Leh district. As far as para-medical staff is concerned, as against sanctioned posts of 5171, 1623 posts are lying vacant in Jammu division while as in Kashmir division, 1262 posts are lying vacant against sanctioned posts of 6371. Of 1623 vacant posts in Jammu division, 348 remain unfilled in Jammu, 117 in Doda, 212 in Kathua, 107 in Kishtwar, 117 in Poonch, 200 in Rajouri, 132 in Ramban, 136 in Reasi, 137 in Samba and 117 in Udhampur. Likewise, of 1262 vacant posts of para-medical staff in Kashmir division, 38 are lying vacant in Srinagar, 65 in Pulwama, 42 in Ganderbal, 281 in Baramulla, 233 in Kupwara, 25 in Bandipora, 138 in Kulgam, 21 in Shopian, 119 in Anantnag, 237 in Budgam, 48 in Kargil and 15 in Leh. "The department had submitted its reply to the Court that the entry level gazetted posts were to be referred to General Administration Department for being notified and the GAD had already referred these posts to recruiting agencies but nothing has been done so far, sources also said. Sources further stated that in the absence of qualified doctors and para-medical staff, the patients are not getting proper treatment due to which they are facing serious hardships. They said the number of vacancies have increased as numbers of officials have attained superannuation. |