The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has demanded a report from the Union Territory (UT) administration detailing the actions taken to tackle the severe shortage of Medical Officers and staff in the region.
This direction came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by RTI Activist Balwinder Singh in 2018, highlighting the acute scarcity of medical personnel in various health institutions, particularly in remote areas of Jammu Province.
The PIL was based on information obtained through the RTI Act, revealing a significant shortfall of Doctors and Paramedical staff in several Districts of Jammu Province, amounting to 60% to 70% vacancies.
During the hearing, the court reviewed a recent status report submitted by the Health and Medical Education Department, J&K. The report presented a comparative statement showing the availability of Doctors and Paramedical Staff in both Jammu and Kashmir provinces.
According to the report, the Jammu Division faced a shortage, with only 726 Medical Officer posts occupied out of a total of 1,390 sanctioned positions, resulting in 664 vacancies. Additionally, for non-gazetted and Class IV Employees in Jammu Division, 2,489 posts out of 6,868 remained vacant.
On the other hand, the situation in Kashmir Division appeared to be more favourable, with 1,395 Medical Officers currently serving out of 1,467 sanctioned positions, leaving 72 vacancies. In terms of non-gazetted and Class IV Employees, 5,976 positions out of 8,628 sanctioned posts were filled, while 2,651 remained vacant.
This apparent disparity between the two divisions raised concerns for the court, prompting it to direct the authorities to take necessary steps to fill the vacancies in both provinces. The court specifically requested detailed information on the measures being implemented in far-flung areas like Reasi, Poonch, Ramban, Kupwara, Baramulla, etc., where the shortage of medical staff seems to be even more severe.
The matter is scheduled for further consideration on August 28. The court emphasized the importance of addressing the critical shortage of medical personnel to ensure better healthcare services and timely medical assistance in the region.
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