Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: Chairman Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali today announced House Committee on the alleged illegal and backdoor appointments of 18 doctors under SRO 384 in Government Medical College, Jammu and Associated Hospitals.
The Chairman made this announcement after the Health and Medical Education Minister, Bali Bhagat came under fire and faced severe criticism from his own party member Ramesh Arora and PDP member Surinder Choudhary besides others. Arora alleged that these appointments were illegal and should have been done through PSC or some competent agency. He said even their conversion into Registrar was illegal and another blunder.
The Minister contested that appointments were not illegal and Government adopted proper procedure invited applications and held interviews in their efforts to make Super Specialty Hospital Jammu functional. Some para-medical staff was also appointed under this SRO, he added.
However, after Mr Arora and some BJP members besides Surinder Chodhary pressed for it, the Chairman announced House Committee to probe the matter.
Earlier, replying to the main question, the Minister for Health and Medical Education informed that as many as 18 Assistant Surgeons are presently working in Government Medical College, Jammu and its Associated Hospitals under SRO-384.
He informed that these Assistant Surgeons were engaged on academic arrangement on exigency arises after the creation of Super Specialty Hospital in Jammu. He said these Assistant Surgeons are discharging their duties as Casualty Medical Officers. The department has proposed to convert the posts of Assistant Surgeons to Registrars, adding that after the approval and recruitment of Registrars, the engaged Assistant Surgeons would be disengaged, he added.
As many as 22 doctors and Assistant Surgeons are drawing NPA, the Minister informed.
Replying to another question of PDP member Mohammad Khursheed Alam, the Health Minister said that 91 doctors have been deputed for training to tertiary care health facilities under terms and conditions of deputation as envisaged in J&K CSR.
The Minister further informed that the sanctioned strength of doctors and paramedics in Health and Medical Education and other health related organizations are 7064 and 14204 respectively, adding that 10296 paramedics are in position in health and medical institutions of the State.
Responding to supplementary question, the Minister informed that over 500 posts of doctors have been referred for selection to the recruiting agency (JKPSC), adding that after the selection process, these doctors would be posted in the health institution at far-off areas or the institutions having shortage of medicos. The issue of early selection of paramedics has also been taken up with the JKSSB, he added.
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