Some appointment orders cancelled: Minister
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: Some of the MLAs today voiced concern over condition of health centres in the hilly and far off areas even as Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo said the doctors who are not joining their duties are being served with show cause notices and their appointments have also been cancelled.
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Independent MLA from Bani Dr Rameshwar Singh raising a supplementary to his question in the Legislative Assembly said the doctors remain busy in private practice and don’t report to their duties in the hilly areas.
BJP legislator from Chenani Balwant Singh Mankotia said some of the Primary Health Centres (PDCs) are being run by the safai karamcharis. He demanded that 12th pass Science students should be given training and licenses to open their shops.
AAP MLA from Doda Mehraj Malik said all Pahari areas are facing shortage of medical staff. He demanded that posts should be advertised at tehsil and district levels as outsiders don’t report to duties.
In her response, Itoo said three doctors didn’t join their duties in Bani and they have been served final show cause notices. One appointment order of a doctor has been cancelled, she added.
“First posting of doctors is being made in far off areas and those who don’t join, their appointment orders are being cancelled,” the Minister said.
Sakeena today informed the House that during the past two years, two specialist doctors and five Medical Officers (MOs) have been posted in CHC Bani and PHCs of Bani.
“One Consultant, six Medical Officers/Dental Surgeons, 84 paramedics are, at present, in Bani besides one Specialist, 10 Ayush Medical Officers and 87 Paramedics under NHM have also been posted in different health institutions of Bani totalling 189”, she added.
The Minister informed the House that the Government has recently appointed 365 Medical Officers, who have been posted in various far-flung/underserved areas of J&K, adding that 13 doctors have been appointed to different health institutions in Kathua including one doctor in Bani. She added that the selection process of 181 Medical Officers is currently underway, and a waitlist for 91 selected Medical Officers is under process. These officers will be deployed in underserved areas across Jammu and Kashmir, she added.
The Minister further informed that those doctors who don’t join their respective places of posting are being issued show cause notices and appropriate disciplinary proceedings/action is initiated against them as per the rules.
Itoo, informed the House that the wages of all NHM employees in J&K had been revised from 15 percent to 17 percent during the year 2021-22 with a 5 percent increase being given annually.
The Minister was replying to a question raised by Vikram Randhawa in the Legislative Assembly.
She said that the National Health Mission (NHM) in Jammu and Kashmir is being fully funded by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). “Salary adjustments for NHM employees in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly to bridge the salary gap at par with employees in other States, must align with the policies set by the Central Government. Therefore, such changes require prior approval from the Central Ministry to ensure compliance with the NHM’s objectives and budget allocations”, she added.
She apprised that the wages were raised from Rs. 50000 to Rs. 85000 per month for the Specialists; from Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 for Medical Officer (MBBS), along with an additional Rs 15,000 as special performance based incentive; from Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000 per month for Medical Officer (AYUSH) and the wages were increased from Rs. 23,000 to 35,000 per month for the Dental Surgeons.
While replying to supplementary questions raised by Ranbir Singh Pathania and Dr. Rameshwar Singh, the Minister said that the government would take up the issue of regularisation as well as enhancement of wages with the Government of India.
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