Crackdown on unauthorized tenure extensions
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 21: In a decisive move to address the acute shortage of medical personnel in peripheral healthcare institutions, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered the immediate repatriation of doctors who have overstayed their deputation or tenure postings at Government Medical Colleges in Jammu and Srinagar.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
The order, issued today under Government Order Number 321-JK(HME) of 2025 by the Health and Medical Education Department, mandates the immediate return of Medical Officers and Consultants who are part of the J&K Health and Family Welfare (Gazetted) Service but lack any super-specialization. These doctors, the Government noted, have continued in the GMCs beyond the permissible period of four years for deputation and three years for tenure postings without due authorization.
According to the order, these doctors are now deemed to be relieved from their current postings in GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar and must report back to their original cadres under the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu and Kashmir, respectively. Strict instructions have been issued to the Principals and Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) of the Medical Colleges to stop salary disbursements to these repatriated doctors. Non-compliance with these directives will be considered a financial irregularity and may invite disciplinary action under service rules.
The move comes in response to a growing concern over the persistent shortage of doctors in peripheral and district hospitals across the Union Territory. For years, rural health centres have struggled with inadequate staffing, impacting patient care and service delivery in remote areas. While tertiary institutions in Srinagar and Jammu remain relatively well-staffed, peripheral hospitals in regions such as Kupwara, Doda, Poonch, Kishtwar, and Bandipora have been functioning with minimal medical personnel, often relying on a limited number of general physicians.
Health experts and local representatives have long voiced concerns about the unequal distribution of human resources in the healthcare system. Many doctors, after being posted to GMCs on a temporary basis, have managed to remain there indefinitely, often through administrative loopholes or lack of monitoring.
By repatriating these doctors to the field, the Government aims to reallocate medical staff more equitably, strengthen healthcare delivery at the grassroots level, and uphold administrative discipline in postings.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
