More than 1,000 doctor positions remain unfilled across Jammu and Kashmir. The Health and Medical Education Department reported 797 vacancies in the Kashmir division and 288 in the Jammu division as of February 2026. These include consultant and medical officer roles.
Doctor Vacancies and Recruitment Efforts
The Kashmir division has 24 senior consultants, 253 consultants, 458 medical officers, and 62 dental surgeons vacant. Jammu division has 288 vacant consultant posts. To address shortages in remote areas, the government referred 480 medical officer posts to the J-K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) for selection.
The department is prioritizing direct recruitment and filling promotion quota posts. Newly selected medical officers will be deployed to under-served and remote health facilities. The government aims to strengthen specialist services in district hospitals.
Measures to Improve Healthcare Access
Several steps are underway to mitigate staff shortages. These include redistributing available specialists, hiring specialists on contract, and utilizing National Health Mission funds. Telemedicine services like e-Sanjeevani are also being used for remote consultations.
The establishment of seven new Government Medical Colleges has reduced the patient load at GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar. Specialist services are now available at these new institutions. Consultants and medical officers at Sub-District Hospitals and Primary Health Centres are providing care locally, reducing the need for referrals to larger hospitals.
Referrals to GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar are now limited to extreme emergencies. These actions strengthen district-level specialist care and minimize patient transfers.
Paramedical Staff Recruitment
In addition to doctor positions, 292 paramedical vacancies are being filled. These non-gazetted positions are from the Directorate of Family Welfare, Maternity and Child Health (MCH), and Immunization. The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) is handling the recruitment.
Another 290 non-gazetted paramedical posts from the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, have been referred to the JKSSB. Additionally, 608 posts from the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, are being processed for referral after Finance Department approval.
For the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, 802 non-gazetted, multi-tasking staff, and sanitation worker vacancies are under review. These will be referred to the JKSSB once the Finance Department concurs.