Srinagar, Dec 25: Hospitals in the Jammu division are grappling with a severe shortage of medical staff, including 645 vacant medical officer positions and 157 consultant positions.
The information was obtained through a Right to Information Act (RTI) application filed by social activist MM Shuja.
According to the RTI, the authorities at Directorate of Health Services Jammu revealed that the vacancies are causing strain on healthcare facilities, and have resulted in increased workloads for existing staff and delays in patient care. They said the shortage has become even more critical amid the global health challenges faced by the healthcare workforce.
Authorities revealed that steps have been taken to address the shortage by initiating the recruitment process and referring the vacancies to the recruiting agency. However, the overall scenario is challenging, with around 4,000 gazetted and non-gazetted posts lying vacant in the health department in the Jammu division, which is impacting healthcare services.
These issues have become a top priority for health authorities, who are now exploring strategies to attract and retain skilled healthcare professionals, they said.
