Overburdened staff managing ever-increasing rush of patients
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 17: The newly constructed 182-bedded Bone and Joint Hospital, Jammu, is struggling to function with severely inadequate manpower as the formal proposal for creation of required staff continues to await approval from the Government.
Official sources told the Excelsior that even after the lapse of more than two and half years since the hospital was formally inaugurated and dedicated to the public, the proposal seeking sanction for creation of posts of doctors and para-medical staff required to fully operationalise this new block of Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu has not been cleared till date.
The Bone and Joint Hospital, one of the premier tertiary care facilities catering to trauma and orthopaedic patients from across Jammu province and adjoining areas, is presently functioning with minimal staff, putting immense pressure on existing doctors, paramedics, nurses and support staff.
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Hospital insiders said that while the new 182-bedded block was constructed to accommodate the rising patient load and improve treatment facilities, the absence of adequate sanctioned staff has rendered the expansion largely ineffective.
“The infrastructure is in place, but without manpower, the additional block cannot be fully utilised. Existing staff is already overburdened and managing an ever-increasing rush of patients,” sources said, adding that the hospital is functioning with the staff less than even the sanctioned strength.
Against the sanctioned strength of three Professors, four Association Professors and eight Assistant Professors, the hospital is presently having only two Professors and Associate Professors each while the number of Assistant Professors in place is only four.
The hospital reportedly receives hundreds of patients daily in its outpatient department besides handling emergency trauma cases, accident victims and surgeries. Doctors and staff are often forced to work beyond regular hours to manage the workload.
To meet the requirement, the Department of Health and Medical Education had sought formal proposal for creation of posts for the new block at Bone & Joint Hospital Jammu in July 2024, following which Principal of Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta had submitted the detailed list of 299 proposed posts of all categories as per the existing Recruitment Rules.
The proposal sought creation of 10 posts of faculty in Orthopaedics, seven in Anaesthesia and one each in Radiology, Medicine and Plastic Surgery. Besides, ten posts of Registrar in Orthopaedics and Anaesthesia, each; four in Radiology and one Demonstrator in Blood Transfusion Services were proposed. In addition, 145 posts of Paramedics and 104 of Administrative staff, including 60 of Multi Tasking staff were also proposed.
In view of some queries from the Administrative Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department, the Principal GMC submitted revised checklists for the proposed posts, vide communication No. GMCJ-PS/10/2022-08/2024-25/559-65, dated 18-10-2024 and again on 5-12-2024 vide No GMC-PS/10/2022-08/2024-25/768-75.
Since then, sources said, there has been no progress on the proposal except further queries from the Government and clarifications from the Principal GMC. Despite repeated follow-ups, no official timeline has yet been indicated for approval of the proposal, leaving the future of the new 182-bedded block uncertain even as the hospital continues to operate under staff shortage.
Stakeholders noted that the delay in staff creation defeats the very purpose of expanding healthcare infrastructure. “Constructing new buildings without parallel augmentation of human resources only creates an illusion of development. Healthcare delivery ultimately depends on trained manpower,” an official familiar with the matter observed.
The prolonged delay has also led to concerns among patients and attendants, many of whom continue to face long waiting hours and overcrowding despite the availability of additional space in the new block. They have urged the Government to expedite approval of the staffing proposal to ensure that the hospital can function efficiently and provide quality care to patients.
When contacted, Principal of GMC Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta said the process was almost in final stage and the proposal file is lying with the Finance Department, which has put a few small queries. “We are going to submit the reply in two-three-days and the proposal is likely to get approved very soon, hopefully in a month,” he said.
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