88 posts vacant at SDH Akhnoor, CHC Jourian: Govt

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Sept 29: As many as 88 posts are lying vacant at Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Akhnoor and Community Health Centre (CHC) Jourian, leaving the two health facilities with only 135 personnel against a sanctioned strength of 223, the Government informed the Legislative Assembly today.

SDH Akhnoor has 50 vacancies, with 100 of its 150 sanctioned posts filled, while CHC Jourian has 38 vacancies, with only 35 of its 73 sanctioned posts occupied.

The Government said it was taking steps to strengthen manpower availability in health institutions, including those in the Akhnoor constituency, and was undertaking recruitment against available sanctioned posts.

It said 406 applications had been received for 346 medical posts, while 335 medical officers had been received in the recruitment process and 325 had been processed. Recruitment for 29 postgraduate posts pertaining to Jammu Division was also underway.

The Government said manpower availability and deployment were being reviewed regularly based on population served, patient load, institutional requirements and availability of doctors and other staff.

It said staffing was guided by the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) and that manpower would be rationalised wherever gaps were identified, based on functional requirements and available resources.

The department said it was focusing on strengthening existing health institutions rather than creating additional facilities wherever the existing infrastructure could adequately cater to the population.

It also cited digital health initiatives, including telemedicine, to bridge service gaps and provide specialist medical advice in remote and underserved areas.

The Government further said District Hospitals and Sub-District Hospitals were being strengthened through deployment of postgraduate medical officers and resident doctors under the National Rural Health Mission to improve patient care and specialist services.

J&K, it said, has a comparatively higher density of public healthcare institutions than the national average, with approximately one health institution for every 3,500 people.

The Government said it would continue to rationalise available manpower and recruit against sanctioned posts, subject to prescribed procedures, with a focus on strengthening healthcare services at the peripheral level.