Kupwara, September 21: The border district of Kupwara is suffering from a serious doctor shortage, which has an impact on the area’s ability to provide high-quality medical treatment.
According to the information available, of the 488 sanctioned doctor positions, 322 are filled, while the remaining 166 have been unfilled for a long time. Administrative officers, consultants, medical officers, dentists, allopathic specialists, allopathic medical officers, and ISM medical officers are among the positions that are vacant.
The additional information reveals that of the 14 administrative positions, 13 are filled and one is open. There are 60 authorised positions for consultants, of which 29 are filled and 31 are open. 114 of the 240 authorised medical officer positions are unfilled, while 126 are filled. 34 of the 43 dentists are now employed, while 9 positions are open.
There are 12 experts in the National Health Mission, however only 8 are currently employed. Similarly, 3 ISM medical officers are unfilled out of 76 authorised jobs, while 73 are carrying out their responsibilities across the area. Of the 43 allopathic medical officers, 39 are in place and 4 are empty.
People are upset with the government for not filling the open positions in the area. They said that the health care system has been severely impacted by the shortage of physicians and that nothing is being done to replace the positions.
Numerous health centres in the district’s snowbound districts are functioning without physicians due to a doctor shortage, which is very difficult for the general people. Although the health facility in Budnamal was upgraded to a New Type Primary Health facility (NTPHC) five years ago, no doctors have yet been assigned to this location, according to local resident Ghulam Hassan.
“The lack of physicians in the district’s border regions has severely harmed health care, and the unfilled doctor positions in this northern district have affected rural healthcare as well. Why the government hasn’t filled the open positions for physicians baffles me. Every administration has let us down, but Kupwara has always been in the forefront of advancing democracy, said Showkat Masoodi, president of the Kupwara Traders Federation, in an interview with Greater Kashmir.
“How can health authorities in Kupwara depute doctors in such areas where health centres are functioning without doctors when 166 posts of doctors are vacant,” Masoodi added.
Meanwhile District Development Council Chairman Kupwara Irfan Panditpori acknowledged the hardships being faced by the people due to lack of doctors. “The matter will certainly be brought into the notice of LG Manoj Sinha. “Hopefully all vacant posts of doctors are filled on war footing,” Irfan added.
