SRINAGAR: Approximately 550 posts of Medical Officers (MOs) remain vacant across Jammu and Kashmir, while the selection of 181 MOs is currently in progress, Minister for Agriculture Production Department, Javed Ahmad Dar, informed the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
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Dar, speaking on behalf of the Minister for Health and Medical Education, was responding to a question raised by Dr Sajad Shafi and Javed Hassan Beig.
The Minister stated that 57 health institutes are operational in the Sheeri and Kreeri blocks of Baramulla district. In Kreeri, out of the sanctioned 157 staff members, 121 are in position while 36 posts remain vacant. Similarly, in Sheeri, 223 of the 330 sanctioned posts are filled, leaving 107 vacancies. These positions include both regular category staff and those employed under the National Health Mission (NHM), he added.
Providing updates on infrastructure development, Dar said that land acquisition for the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Chandoosa is ongoing, with the matter taken up with revenue authorities for state land identification. He also mentioned that Rs 8 lakh was allocated for land compensation for the New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) in Laridora during 2021-22. However, due to the financial year’s closure, the funds lapsed. Despite this, the construction of the NTPHC has been completed, and it has been operational in the newly built facility since September 2024.
The Minister assured the House that the government is making sustained efforts to fill the vacant MO posts, with the selection of 181 candidates currently underway through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). Once the selection process is completed, the appointed MOs will be posted to healthcare institutions facing acute staff shortages.
Additionally, the Minister stated that a waitlist of 91 selected MOs is being prepared to address staffing gaps, particularly in underserved areas. In Baramulla district alone, out of the sanctioned 275 MO posts, 219 are filled while 56 remain vacant. To mitigate the shortage, 39 out of 365 recently appointed MOs have been posted to the district.
He further highlighted that 11 additional healthcare workers from the NHM and 71 from the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), including doctors and paramedics, have been deployed in Baramulla, significantly improving healthcare services in underserved areas.kashmir life