Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 17: Government today informed the Legislative Assembly that nearly 5,753 registered Dental Surgeons are currently unemployed in the Union Territory and that the creation of posts is under consideration.
The disclosure was made by the Health and Medical Education Department in reply to a starred question by MLA Hasnain Masoodi regarding the status of Dental Surgeons in J&K.
Responding to the first query-whether more than 5,500 BDS and MDS degree holders are unemployed and whether steps have been taken to create employment avenues-the Government said there are approximately 5,753 registered unemployed Dental Surgeons in the UT.
It stated that the Government is conscious of the issue of unemployment among Dental Surgeons and the need to strengthen oral healthcare services at all levels of healthcare institutions.
Accordingly, the Government said a proposal for the creation of posts of Dental Surgeons, based on actual and assessed requirements as per laid-down norms, is under active consideration.
The proposal, the House was informed, is being worked out strictly in accordance with the General Financial Rules (GFR)-2017 and the Finance Department’s circular instructions issued vide endorsement No. A/97(02)-Sgr-210(S) dated July 15, 2021.
The matter is under examination in the Health & Medical Education Department, it said.
Replying to the second query-whether oral health is an important component of holistic healthcare and whether most health centres are functioning without Dental Surgeons-the Government said oral health is indeed an important component of holistic healthcare.
It added that sanctioned posts of Dental Surgeons at various levels are adequately filled. At the District Hospital level, all posts are filled.
At the PHC and NTPHC levels, only one post is vacant, the Government said.
The House was informed that only three posts are sanctioned at the NTPHC level in the UT of J&K, of which two are filled and one post is vacant at NTPHC Shamthi.
At the Sub-Centre level, the Government said no posts of Dental Surgeons are sanctioned.
The Government further stated that there are already surplus Dental Surgeons working in J&K and, to accommodate them, 61 temporary/supernumerary posts of Dental Surgeons were created in Jammu Division and 137 temporary/supernumerary posts were created in Kashmir Division.
Responding to another query-whether the Government contemplates creating Dental Surgeon posts for all existing healthcare centres or introducing a Rehbar-e-Sehat scheme on the analogy of Rehbar-e-Ziraat to provide employment avenues-the Government said that while the proposal for the creation of posts based on assessed requirements is under active consideration, no proposal on the analogy of Rehbar-e-Sehat or Rehbar-e-Ziraat is presently under consideration.
It clarified that appointments in the health sector are governed by established service rules, IPHS norms, and financial sustainability considerations.
The Government’s approach, it said, remains focused on regular, need-based creation of posts to ensure quality healthcare delivery and long-term institutional strengthening.
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