Kupwara District Reels Under Severe Shortage of Doctors, Affects Quality Healthcare
Kupwara, a frontier district in Jammu and Kashmir, is currently facing a dire shortage of doctors, which is greatly affecting the quality of healthcare services in the region. Out of the 488 sanctioned posts for doctors, a staggering 166 positions remain vacant for an extended period of time.
The vacant positions include administrative officers, consultants, medical officers, dental surgeons, allopathic specialists, allopathic medical officers, and ISM medical officers. Currently, only 322 out of the 488 sanctioned posts are filled, leaving a deficit that hampers the delivery of healthcare services to the district’s residents.
The shortage of doctors has had a significant negative impact on the provision of healthcare in the region. The lack of medical professionals has forced several health centers in remote, snowbound areas to operate without doctors, causing severe hardships for the local population. For instance, the health center in Budnamal, which was upgraded to a New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) five years ago, still does not have a single doctor assigned to it.
The people of Kupwara are understandably frustrated with the authorities for failing to address this pressing issue. The failure to fill these vital positions has led to a decline in the quality of healthcare services and has left the public feeling neglected.
The situation is particularly dire in the border areas of the district, where the absence of doctors has severely impacted healthcare facilities. The Kupwara Traders Federation President, Showkat Masoodi, expressed his dismay, stating, “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.”
The lack of doctors in the region has prompted the District Development Council Chairman, Irfan Panditpori, to take action. He acknowledged the hardships faced by the public due to this shortage and pledged to bring the issue to the attention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Panditpori expressed hope that all vacant positions would be filled promptly to alleviate the healthcare crisis.
It is crucial for the authorities to prioritize filling these vacant positions to ensure the availability of quality healthcare services for the residents of Kupwara. The government must take immediate and decisive action to address this issue, ensuring that doctors are deployed to the areas most in need. The people of Kupwara deserve access to proper healthcare facilities, and it is the responsibility of the authorities to provide this essential service.