SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS

J&K ADMINISTRATION apart from making the health infrastructure have been busy to make the system responsive by recruiting more and more doctors. But according to the doctors the process is slow and the government should speed up the process so that more doctors are available to the people especially in the rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

The shortage of doctors was felt during the recent waves of pandemic when the patient overload was witnessed in the hospitals, there was a need for doctors and the authorities have also started responding to such needs. To overcome the shortage of post graduate doctors and to prepare specialists at that level, the Health Department has also started Diploma of National Board Courses in the Government medical colleges and District Hospitals of the districts, which will increase at least 250 seats. To promote AYUSH care services, two AYUSH colleges Unani and an Ayurvedic college have been established.

Facilities of AYUSH are also being provided to 571 Stand Alone Dispensaries. 11 Auxiliary Nurse & Midwife (ANM) / General Nursing & Midwifery (GNM) schools have been made functional with the central assistance and 10 more schools are in the process of being operational. Introduction of B.Sc. Paramedical Courses. All these developmental initiatives have resulted in incremental improvements and positive changes in the Health Index of J&K. In the last three years, the neonatal mortality rate in Jammu and Kashmir has come down from 23.1 to 13.3 per 1000. The infant mortality rate has come down from 32.4 to 16.3 per 1000. Sex Ratio at birth has increased from 923 to 976 per 1000 . Institutional deliveries have increased from 7% to 92.4%.