Shortage of health care staff in Kashmir hospitals: NC

Hasnain Masoodi ,NC member of parliament from Anantnag, said shortage of health care staff in the hospitals of Kashmir is putting adverse affect on the patient care.

The primary, secondary and tertiary health care hospitals across Kashmir division are running with only scant para medical and medical staff, Masoodi said in a statement. He added that the shortage was adversely affecting services and patient care, besides putting extra workload on the current staff.

“The shortage of nurses, doctors and technicians miring the healthcare system in Kashmir has grown increasingly severe now. As the demand for healthcare services continues to rise, our hospitals are struggling to meet patient needs. Sluggish recruitment process is unquestionably the main contributing factor to the worsening situation. Shortage of mid-level providers and allied healthcare professionals such as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified registered nurse anaesthetists is widely being felt across government hospitals in Kashmir. Not everyone can afford hefty fees of private hospitals. Rural areas are experiencing more severe shortages than urban areas,” he said.

Government should take immediate steps to mitigate the staff shortage by ensuring swift recruitment process through JKSSB and JKPSC, he said adding, “The gazetted category, which plays a pivotal role in the medical hierarchy, has been particularly hard-hit. Notably, this includes essential positions such as medical officers, senior consultants in medicine, and consultant paediatricians, further compounding the staff crisis. In the non-gazetted category, the situation is equally concerning. Critical roles including anaesthesia assistants, junior nurses, and junior laboratory technicians face shortages, making it challenging to provide comprehensive healthcare services to the patients. Even the Class IV cadre, which supports the overall functioning of the hospital are currently vacant in the number of hospitals, adding to the strain on the existing workforce. I hope the government will rise to the situation and take immediate steps to replenish the workforce.”

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