Healthcare services in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are confronting a severe manpower crisis, with over 11,700 posts of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff lying vacant, adversely affecting the quality of patient care.
The situation is particularly worrisome in trauma care facilities, where centres meant to handle emergency cases are themselves struggling to function due to an acute staff shortage.
Two key Trauma Care Centres (TCCs) in Udhampur and Ramban, especially set up along the accident-prone Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, are facing an alarming shortage of nearly 90 per cent of their sanctioned staff.
This has rendered them largely ineffective in delivering timely medical assistance during accidents and emergencies. The severe manpower crisis undermines their primary objective, particularly in a region that has witnessed over 10,000 fatalities in road accidents over the past decade.
Adding to the concern is the fact that more than 11,700 posts across various categories—including faculty, doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff—remain vacant in healthcare institutions across the Union Territory. This stands in stark contrast to the government’s claims of strengthening healthcare services and ensuring round-the-clock medical care.
The gravity of the situation is further reflected in the non-functional status of the trauma care centres in Udhampur and Ramban, even years after their establishment. These centres, envisioned as critical emergency response units, have failed to become operational due to a lack of manpower and infrastructure, pointing to serious lapses in planning and execution.
The Trauma Care Centre at District Hospital Udhampur, established nearly a decade ago, presents a grim picture. Against a sanctioned strength of 34 posts, only three positions have been filled, leaving 31 vacancies. Notably, all posts of consultants and medical officers have remained unfilled since its inception, severely crippling its functionality.
The issue has also been flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its recent report tabled in the Legislative Assembly. The report noted that the TCC Udhampur, set up in 2016 at a cost of ₹4.58 crore, could not be made functional due to the non-availability of doctors, technical staff, and adequate space, despite sanctioned manpower. The observation was based on a statement from the Medical Superintendent of the Associated Hospital, Government Medical College (GMC) Udhampur.
A similar situation prevails in Ramban, where the Trauma Care Centre has only six staff members against a sanctioned strength of 34 posts approved in 2019. In the absence of adequate personnel, the facility is being utilised for other purposes, including a maternal ward, dialysis unit, district early intervention centre, and operation theatre.
Health Minister Sakina Itoo, in a written reply to a query raised by BJP MLA Dr Sunil Bhardwaj in the Legislative Assembly, highlighted the massive manpower shortage across major health institutions.
Sharing details, the minister said Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) and their associated hospitals are among the worst affected. GMC and Associated Hospital Rajouri has 309 vacancies out of 804 sanctioned posts, including 62 faculty positions. GMC Kathua is facing shortages of 37 assistant professors, 13 doctors, and 62 paramedical staff.
At GMC Jammu, a premier healthcare institution catering to all ten districts of the Jammu region and patients from outside the Union Territory, a total of 366 doctor posts, 261 nursing posts, and 904 paramedical positions are vacant.
Newly established institutions are equally affected. GMC Udhampur has 183 vacancies out of 242 sanctioned posts, including 67 assistant professors. GMC Doda has 116 vacant posts, including 22 professors and 21 assistant professors. Over 50 per cent of posts are vacant in GMC Baramulla, where 258 out of 482 sanctioned posts remain unfilled.
At GMC Anantnag, out of a sanctioned strength of 665 posts, as many as 222 positions are vacant, while GMC Handwara is also facing substantial shortages across both gazetted and non-gazetted categories. As many as 600 posts are vacant there, including 472 non-gazetted and 83 gazetted positions.
In Kashmir, GMC Srinagar and its associated hospital report 1,275 vacancies, including a significant shortage of nursing and paramedical staff. Similarly, SKIMS Soura is operating with 1,222 vacancies out of 2,262 sanctioned posts, while SKIMS Bemina has 393 vacant positions.
Healthcare institutions under the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Jammu and Kashmir, are also under strain. DHS Jammu alone has 689 vacant doctor posts, 238 nursing vacancies, and 1,514 paramedical posts lying unfilled. In DHS Kashmir, 229 doctor posts, 338 nursing posts, and 1,372 paramedical vacancies have been reported.
Other sectors are no exception to this alarming situation. Dental colleges in Jammu and Srinagar together have over 100 vacancies, largely in paramedical categories. The Family Welfare Department is also facing shortages of doctors and paramedical staff, while the AYUSH sector has over 230 vacant posts.
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