SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government is taking measures to strengthen healthcare services in remote and difficult areas, including Karnah, through recruitment, rational deployment and augmentation of medical and paramedical staff, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a question by MLA Javaid Ahmad Mirchal during Question Hour, the minister said 480 Medical Officer (Allopathic) posts had been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), against which 416 candidates had been recommended and 335 appointed so far.
She said the newly appointed doctors would be deployed with priority to peripheral, underserved and difficult-area health institutions, including those in the ALC areas.
Itoo informed the House that 73 National Health Mission (NHM) personnel were currently serving in the Karnah constituency. She added that 466 non-gazetted posts under the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, had also been referred to the recruiting agency for selection.
The minister said AYUSH doctors were posted at PHC Chiterkote, while paramedical staff was available at PHC Chiterkote, PHC Teetwal, PHC Panzgam and PHC Nachiyan. Necessary internal arrangements, she said, were being made to ensure continuity of healthcare services in institutions where regular doctors were unavailable.
Clarifying the issue of staff attachments, Itoo said no NHM employee from Block Tangdar or Karnah constituency was currently attached or posted outside their place of duty anywhere in Kupwara district.
She added that deployment of regular staff was being reviewed to ensure equitable distribution of manpower and minimise shortages in peripheral health institutions.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted healthcare delivery in Karnah and other remote areas through rational deployment, recruitment against sanctioned vacancies and augmentation of manpower under approved NHM programmes.
The MLA also raised a supplementary question during the discussion.