Despite repeated claims by the BJP-led Indian government of unprecedented development in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) following the revocation of Article 370, the healthcare sector in the Kashmir Valley continues to face a severe manpower crisis, with 802 doctor posts lying vacant. According to Kashmir Media Service, the figures were disclosed in the IIOJK Legislative Assembly by the Omar Abdullah-led administration in response to queries by legislators.

Tthe Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, in a written reply to legislator Ranbir Singh Pathania, revealed that the vacancies include 24 senior consultants, 253 consultants, 458 medical officers and 67 dental surgeons. A significant number of consultant positions are lying vacant across peripheral hospitals in the Kashmir division, severely affecting specialized healthcare services at district and sub-district levels.

Ironically, despite these alarming numbers, the department claimed that it is “not facing an acute shortage of specialists.” The reply further stated that while 480 posts of medical officers have been referred to the IIOJK Public Service Commission for recruitment, consultant posts, crucial for delivering advanced medical care, have yet to be sent for selection, leaving a major gap in essential services across the occupied Valley.

The continued delay in filling these key positions has raised serious concerns about access to quality healthcare, particularly for residents of remote and far-flung areas of the Kashmir Valley who rely heavily on peripheral hospitals. The revelation stands in sharp contrast to New Delhi’s assertions of rapid progress and improved governance in IIOJK since August 2019.

Observers say that the persistent shortage of doctors and specialists reflects the widening gap between official claims of transformation and the ground realities faced by the people of the occupied territory, where access to timely and specialized healthcare remains a pressing challenge.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)