Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 12: At a time when State is facing dearth of doctors, Government has failed to appoint 371 Medical Officers (Allopathic) who were selected in January this year.
Despite selection list of 371 candidates announced by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) in January this year, the appointment of the officers is still pending.
Minister of Health and Medical Education, Bali Bhagat informed the Legislative Assembly held early this year that the JKPSC has recently uploaded the selection list of 371 Medical Officers (Allopathic) on its website and as and when the same is received by the department, efforts will be made to fill up these vacant posts judiciously.
He said that the Government has referred 970 gazetted posts including 371 Medical Officers (Allopathic), 66 Homeopathic/Ayurvedic, 02 posts of Drug Control Organization, 201 Medical Education and 330 faculty posts for five new Medical Colleges( 66 for each) to the J&K Public Service Commission for making the selection.
Meanwhile, the selected candidates of Medical Officer (Allopathic) said that despite selection list of candidates uploaded by the JKPSC, the appointment orders are still pending. “The posts were advertised in March last year through JKPSC and subsequently the written test was held in December that year while the interview was held in January this year. The selection list was published on Jan 31 and sent to the Government for their appointment. More than two months have passed and we are still waiting for the appointment orders,” they said.
Candidates blamed Government for deliberately holding the appointment orders. “It seems some blue eyed persons have kept their finger on appointment orders. Probably the children or relatives of these persons are still studying and are yet to complete their MBBS degrees,” they said.
Minister of State for Health, Asiya Naqash, said that the appointments of the Medical Officers are in the last stage and it will take few days to issue the orders. “The appointment orders are in the last stage and hopefully the postings will be done within few days. We have to do some formalities that is why it took some time,” she said.
People from different areas particularly rural areas complained that they are facing shortage of doctors and have to pay huge price for non-availability of doctors.
In North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, people alleged that in absence of the required staff they are being forced to visit private clinics for the treatment. “Due to the shortage of doctors in the hospital, we have to plead several times before getting examined. There are only two doctors available in the casualty ward of the hospital in which more than 400 patients visit every day,” Tariq Ahmad, a patient in District Hospital Baramulla said.
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