Lawmakers Urge Government Action to Improve Healthcare Facilities in Underdeveloped and Hard-to-Reach Regions
Legislators Raise Concerns Over Health Centres in Remote Areas; Govt Takes Action on Absentee Doctors
Jammu, March 19: Several MLAs in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today voiced concerns over the deteriorating condition of health centres in remote and hilly areas. During the discussion, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo assured the House that strict action is being taken against doctors failing to report to duty in these underserved regions.
Independent MLA from Bani, Dr. Rameshwar Singh, raised concerns about doctors prioritizing private practice over government postings, leaving healthcare services in remote areas in disarray. BJP legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia alleged that some Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are being run by sanitation workers due to a severe shortage of medical staff. He suggested training 12th-pass science students and licensing them to provide basic healthcare services.
AAP MLA Mehraj Malik highlighted that Pahari areas across the Union Territory face acute medical staff shortages. He proposed that recruitment should be conducted at tehsil and district levels to ensure that local candidates fill these posts, as outsiders often fail to report to their assigned duties.
Responding to these concerns, Minister Itoo revealed that three doctors who failed to join duty in Bani have been served final show cause notices, and one appointment has already been canceled. She reaffirmed that first-time postings are made in far-flung areas, and those refusing to join face cancellation of their appointments.
Providing updates on healthcare staffing, Itoo stated that in the last two years, two specialist doctors and five Medical Officers (MOs) have been posted in Bani’s Community Health Centre (CHC) and PHCs. Currently, the area has one consultant, six medical officers, 84 paramedics, one specialist, 10 Ayush medical officers, and 87 paramedics under the National Health Mission (NHM), totaling 189 healthcare professionals.
She further informed the Assembly that 365 newly appointed Medical Officers have been posted across underserved areas of Jammu and Kashmir, with 13 doctors deployed in Kathua district, including one in Bani. Additionally, the selection process for 181 more medical officers is ongoing, and a waitlist of 91 selected candidates is being finalized to strengthen healthcare services.
Itoo assured that show cause notices are issued to doctors who fail to report, and disciplinary proceedings are initiated as per government regulations.
Addressing concerns over NHM employees’ salaries, the Minister stated that their wages had been revised from 15% to 17% in 2021-22, with an annual 5% increment. She clarified that since NHM is fully funded by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, any further salary adjustments require prior approval from the Central Government.
As per recent revisions, the salaries for NHM staff have been increased as follows:
- Specialists: ₹50,000 to ₹85,000 per month
- Medical Officers (MBBS): ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 per month, with an additional ₹15,000 as a performance-based incentive
- Medical Officers (AYUSH): ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 per month
- Dental Surgeons: ₹23,000 to ₹35,000 per month
While responding to supplementary questions from MLAs Ranbir Singh Pathania and Dr. Rameshwar Singh, Itoo assured that the government would take up the issues of regularization and further wage enhancement with the Centre.
The discussion underscored the urgent need for improved healthcare infrastructure and workforce distribution in Jammu and Kashmir’s remote regions, prompting calls for sustained efforts to address these critical issues.
