The Jammu and Kashmir government is taking measures to strengthen healthcare services in remote and difficult areas through recruitment, rational deployment and augmentation of medical and paramedical staff, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo said in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a question by MLA Javaid Ahmad Mirchal during Question Hour regarding deployment of staff and augmentation of healthcare facilities in his constituency, Itoo said 480 Medical Officer (Allopathic) posts had been referred to the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC).
Of these, 416 candidates have been recommended and 335 have been appointed so far, she said.
The minister said the newly appointed doctors would be appropriately deployed, with priority given to peripheral, underserved, remote and difficult-area health institutions, including ALC areas.
She said 73 NHM personnel are presently serving in Karnah constituency, while 466 non-gazetted posts under the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, have been referred to the recruiting agency for selection.
Itoo said AYUSH doctors are posted at PHC Chiterkote, while paramedical staff is available at PHC Chiterkote, PHC Teetwal, PHC Panzgam and PHC Nachiyan.
She said necessary internal arrangements were being made to ensure continuity of healthcare services at institutions where regular doctors are presently unavailable.
On staff attachments, the minister clarified that no NHM staff member belonging to Block Tangdar and Karnah constituency is presently attached, deployed or posted outside their respective places of duty anywhere in Kupwara district.
She said deployment of regular staff was being examined to ensure equitable distribution of available manpower and minimise shortages at peripheral and difficult-area health institutions.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to optimum utilisation of human resources and uninterrupted healthcare delivery in Karnah and other difficult areas through rational deployment, recruitment against sanctioned vacancies and augmentation of manpower under approved NHM programmes, subject to applicable norms and availability of resources.
MLA Mirchal also raised a supplementary question during the proceedings.
