Srinagar, Sep 21: As many as 73 posts of paramedical staff and seven posts of doctors are lying vacant in health institutions across the Budgam constituency, the government has informed the Legislative Assembly.
The information was provided in response to a starred question raised by MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi regarding the infrastructure and human resource requirements of health institutions in the Budgam constituency.
According to the government, an assessment of infrastructure and human resource requirements of health institutions falling within the constituency is conducted from time to time. It said that 33 health institutions are presently functional in the constituency, providing healthcare services to the general public.
As per the manpower details furnished by the government, 101 doctors and 88 paramedical staff are currently deployed in the constituency. Against a sanctioned strength of 108 doctors, seven posts are vacant, while 161 paramedical posts have been sanctioned, of which 88 are presently filled, leaving 73 vacancies.
The government said that 466 vacancies in the non-gazetted and paramedical categories under the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, have been processed, including 58 district-cadre posts of Budgam that have been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for selection.
On the doctors’ front, the department has received the selection list of 416 candidates for the post of Medical Officer. The Administrative Department has subsequently issued appointment orders for 335 Medical Officers whose verification reports had been received, vide Government Order No. 663-JK(HME) of 2026 dated 2 September 2026.
The government said the selected Medical Officers are submitting their joining reports as they join their respective places of posting. After completion of the prescribed joining period, the newly appointed doctors will be posted in peripheral, far-flung, and underserved areas facing an acute shortage of doctors.
Regarding shortages of medicines, diagnostics, ambulances, and essential infrastructure, the government stated that adequate availability of essential medicines and diagnostics is presently being maintained and no such shortage is being faced. It said regular monitoring is being carried out to ensure uninterrupted availability of essential medicines and diagnostics, while shortfalls relating to medicines, ambulance availability, and infrastructure are being continuously monitored and addressed.
The government also listed several infrastructure projects being executed in the Budgam constituency under the UT CAPEX budget. The 125-bedded hospital at Reshi Pora Budgam is reported to be 70 per cent complete, while the NTPHCs at Puhroo and Nasrullah Pora are reported to have reached completion and 85 per cent completion, respectively.
The PHC at Kralpora has been completed and taken over, while construction of the PHC at Soibugh is partly completed and partly tendered. At NTPHC Hardupanzoo, the structure along with the roof has been completed. Balance works at NTPHC Jawalpora have reached the ground-floor slab stage, while the NTPHC at Wahabpora is around 30 per cent complete.
The government further said that a 100-bedded Critical Care facility under PM-ABHIM has been targeted during the current financial year. Meanwhile, a new 128-slice CT scan machine has been installed and is expected to be made functional shortly.
On ambulance availability, the government said the constituency has eight routine ambulances, six BLS 108 ambulances, and one ALS 108 ambulance. The government said infrastructure and manpower requirements of the health institutions in the constituency are being assessed periodically and necessary measures are being taken to strengthen healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved areas—(KNO)
