Nearly six years after the establishment of five new Government Medical Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir-Kathua, Doda, Rajouri, Anantnag, and Baramulla-around 3,000 non-gazetted employees continue to serve without formal recruitment or service rules. This glaring administrative omission is not merely a technical lapse; it is a violation of the basic professional rights of a workforce that plays a critical role in healthcare delivery. From laboratories to wards, from managing patient records to maintaining vital equipment, these employees form the backbone of the healthcare ecosystem. Their importance is in no way less than that of doctors or other gazetted staff. Yet, while gazetted staff enjoy defined service rules and timely promotions, non-gazetted employees remain stuck in the same pay grades for years, with no path for career progression.
What makes the situation even more indefensible is that the issue has been in the full knowledge of the Health and Medical Education Department and the Government. Since 2019, multiple committees and later panels have been formed, yet none of their recommendations have translated into action. This cycle of forming committees without delivering results reflects administrative inertia at its worst. The right approach should have been clear from the outset: frame recruitment and business rules first, then proceed with recruitment. Even in the absence of new frameworks, the rules governing non-gazetted staff in older GMCs could have been adopted as a base model, with necessary modifications. Instead, the matter has been allowed to drift, leaving employees in a state of professional uncertainty.
For policymakers, service rules might seem like a bureaucratic formality, but for these employees, they represent the foundation of their careers. Denying them this structure is denying them fair recognition, dignity, and the opportunity to advance in their profession. In a sector as vital as healthcare-where every role, from surgeon to peon, contributes to saving lives-such disparity is unacceptable. The Government must now act with urgency. Enough years have been wasted, and enough mental agony inflicted. There should be no further delays in this matter. The employees have served the system faithfully; it is time the system serves them back.
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