Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Oct 29: The Health and Medical Education Department Minister, Sakeena Itoo on Wednesday said that steps are being taken to improve the manpower situation at the Bone and Joint Hospital, Jammu.
Responding to a question posed by MLA Pawan Kumar Gupta, the minister, stated in a written reply that the primary objective of the Bone & Joint Hospital in Jammu is to ease the workload on the Government Medical College & Hospital, Jammu, particularly for orthopaedic cases.
She said the hospital aims to provide services such as joint replacement, treatment of multi-fractures, trauma management, and other specialised interventions within the region, thereby reducing the need for patients to travel outside for treatment.
The minister added that efforts are underway to strengthen the staffing at B&J Hospital Jammu. In this regard, a proposal for the creation of 22 faculty posts, 27 resident/tutor posts, 162 paramedical posts, 6 administrative posts, and 109 other non-gazetted staff positions is currently under examination by the department.
The proposal for the requisite manpower, including faculty positions such as Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors, is based on the communication from the Principal and Dean of Government Medical College Jammu, vide reference AJH/PBS/111/2021-No. 22/1146-53 dated 30.09.2021, along with subsequent reminders. This staffing plan pertains to the staffing of the newly constructed 180-bedded block at the Bone & Joint Hospital, Jammu.
The proposal, she said, involves creating a total of 326 posts across various categories, with an estimated annual financial implication of Rs 22.41 crore.
Itoo further said that during the initial examination of the proposal, discrepancies were identified in the nomenclature and pay levels proposed for several non-gazetted posts, which did not fully align with the existing Recruitment Rules.
She said the matter has been taken up with the Principal of GMC Jammu and the President of the Nursing Council for re-examination, to ensure compliance with the existing Recruitment Rules applicable to the respective cadres, standard nomenclature prescribed under Indian Nursing Council (INC) norms, and guidelines issued by the J&K Paramedical Council.
“Further action on the proposal will depend on the receipt of a revised, rule-compliant staffing matrix from the concerned authorities,” the minister said.
She added that faculty positions in the Department of Orthopaedics are also being considered for promotion to higher posts periodically, based on vacancy availability and in accordance with existing norms and recruitment rules.
Regarding subordinate staff and broader cadre restructuring, the Health Minister said the issue is linked to the proposal for creating additional posts, which is currently under examination.
She said concerns about parity between Bone & Joint specialists in Jammu and their counterparts in Srinagar have been noted and are under departmental review, considering the sanctioned strength, functional requirements, and applicable service rules.
The Health Minister assured that efforts are underway to address discrepancies observed during the preliminary examination of the proposal. “Once these issues are resolved, the department will seek the prior approval of the competent authority and then approach the Finance Department for concurrence on the creation of 326 posts across various categories at BBJ Hospital Jammu, involving a financial implication of Rs 22.41 crore per annum,” she said.
