Amid pandemic, J&K to recruit 900 doctors on fast-track basis to cope with worsening situation

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 31

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the J&K government is going to recruit 900 doctors to ‘treating’ the ‘ailing’ the health infrastructure in the peripheral and far-flung areas.

Recruitment will be made on a fast-track basis and candidates have been asked to apply only online.

A notification in this regard was issued by the newly constituted J&K Public Service Commission on Thursday, in which online applications were invited for 900 posts of medical officers (MOs). These posts are likely to be increased after clarification from the administrative department.

It is clearly mentioned in the recruitment notification that the selected candidates will have to work in peripheral and far-flung areas of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

Authorities have decided to conduct fast-track recruitment of doctors as above 500 medical officers recruited three years ago were dismissed from services for not joining their duties after the appointment. After their recruitment, these doctors were appointed in the peripheral areas but they had not joined their place of postings.

The doctor-patient ratio in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is 1:1880 as against the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 1:1000, which is grossly insufficient.

According to the official documents, in the medical education sector, of the 2,192 sanctioned strength of doctors, as many as 710 posts have been lying vacant.

Similarly, in the department of health services, of the total sanctioned strength of 4,617 doctors, as many as 1,653 posts of doctors have been lying vacant across the state. The Department of Health Services looks after the health centres, including hospitals across the UT.

By simplifying the recruitment process, the Jammu and Kashmir government had recruited 921 doctors in January 2019. Over 50 per cent of these doctors, recruited through the fast-track basis to serve in the rural areas, had not joined their duties following which they were dismissed from services.

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