The frontier district Kupwara is reeling under severe shortage of doctors thus affecting the quality health care across the district.
According to the details available, of 488 sanctioned posts of doctors 322 are in position while 166 are lying vacant since long. The vacant posts include administrative officers, consultants, medical officers, dental surgeon, allopathic specialists, allopathic medical officers and ISM medical officers.
The details further reveal that of 14 administrative posts, 13 are in position and one is vacant. Of total 60 sanctioned posts of Consultants, 29 are in position and 31 are vacant. A total of 114 posts of medical officers are vacant against 240 sanctioned posts while 126 are in position. Of 43 dental surgeons, 34 are in position while 9 are vacant.
Under the National Health Mission of 12 specialists, 8 are in position while 4 are vacant. Of 43 allopathic medical officers 39 are in position while 4 are vacant, similarly 3 ISM medical officers are vacant against 76 sanctioned posts while 73 are performing duties across the district.
The people are angry with authorities for failing to fill the vacant posts in the district. They said that due to the dearth of doctors, health care has been badly hit and nothing was being done with regard to filling the posts.
Due to lack of doctors several health centers in snowbound areas in the district are operating without doctors thus causing severe hardships for the general public. “Although our health centre located at Budnamal was upgraded to New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) five years ago, not a single doctor has been posted here yet,” Ghulam Hassan, a local from Budnamal said.
“The vacant posts of doctors in this northern district have impacted rural healthcare and in border areas of the district, dearth of doctors have impacted health care badly. I am unable to figure out why authorities have failed to fill the vacant posts of doctors. Kupwara has always been on the forefront in strengthening democracy but every dispensation has disappointed us,” Kupwara Traders Federation President Showkat Masoodi told 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.
