JAMMU, Feb 24: More than 1,000 posts of doctors are currently vacant across Jammu and Kashmir, according to figures shared by the Health and Medical Education Department.
Kashmir division accounts for 797 of these vacancies — comprising 24 senior consultants, 253 consultants, 458 medical officers and 62 dental surgeons — while Jammu division has 288 vacant consultant posts as on February 2026, “The districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are not facing an acute shortage of specialists…In order to overcome shortage of doctors in peripheral and remote areas, the government has recently referred 480 posts of medical officers to the J-K Public Service Commission for selection of suitable candidate,” the medical and health department said.
It said the department is monitoring issues related to the referral of direct recruitment vacancies as well as the filling up of promotion-quota posts on a priority basis, and necessary steps for filling up these vacancies have been taken from time to time.
After completion of the selection process of medical officers, the newly selected doctors shall be posted to far-flung and under-served areas and health institutions facing shortage of staff, as per requirement and policy in vogue, the department said.
It said the government is cognizant of the need to strengthen specialist services at peripheral hospitals.
Several remedial measures have already been initiated, including rationalisation and redeployment of available specialist manpower, engagement of specialists on contractual basis, utilisation of National Health Mission (NHM) and other centrally sponsored schemes for hiring of specialists, tele-medicine and e-Sanjeevani services for expert consultations, the department said.
These steps are expected to substantially reduce avoidable referrals and improve access to specialist healthcare at the peripheral level.
With the establishment of seven new Government Medical Colleges across Jammu and Kashmir, the department said the referral load to GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar has reduced considerably as major specialist services are now being provided in these newly established institutions.
In addition, consultants and medical officers posted at Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are actively delivering services at the peripheral level, thereby minimising routine referrals.
These measures have significantly strengthened the availability of specialist care within the districts and contributed to reducing unnecessary patient transfers to the tertiary hospitals at Jammu and Srinagar, the department said.
Referrals are made to GMC Jammu/Srinagar only in extreme emergencies.
On the paramedical front, the department said 292 vacancies in the non-gazetted/paramedical category from the Directorate of Family Welfare, Maternity and Child Health (MCH), and Immunization have been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for recruitment, which stands advertised for making selection of suitable candidates.
Also 290 vacancies in the non-gazetted/paramedical category from the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu have also been referred to the J&KSSB for recruitment.
Besides 608 posts of Directorate of Health Services, Jammu are also in the process of referral to JKSSB for recruitment, after having concurrence of Finance Department, the department said.
Furthermore, it said 802 non-gazetted, Multi-tasking staff vacancies and sanitation worker posts pertaining to Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir are under examination in the department for further referral to JKSSB. These posts shall be referred after having concurrence of Finance Department.
