Covid: 900 docs to be recruited for rural areas in J&K

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 31

Amid the pandemic, the Jammu and Kashmir Government is going to recruit 900 doctors in the peripheral and far-flung areas.

The 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 Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission on Thursday in which online applications were invited for 900 posts of medical officer. 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 J&K.

The authorities have decided to conduct fast-track recruitment of doctors as more than 500 medical officers recruited three year ago were dismissed from service for not joining their duties after appointment. After their recruitment, these doctors were appointed in the peripheral areas, but they did not join their place of postings.

The doctor patient ratio in J&K is 1:1,880 as against the recommendations of the World Health Organisation of 1:1,000.

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

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

By simplifying the recruitment process, the J&K Government had recruited 921 doctors in January 2019. Over 50 per cent of these doctors, recruited through fast-track basis to serve in the rural areas, had not joined their duties, following which they were dismissed from service.