SKIMS grapples with severe staff shortage, reveals RTI

Srinagar, Jul 6: Despite grappling with a severe shortage of doctors, consultants and paramedical staff, the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar (SKIMS) continues to provide advanced healthcare services to patients from across Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) by activist M M Shuja has revealed that the premier tertiary care institute is functioning with a large number of vacant posts. Nevertheless, SKIMS continues to perform almost all major surgical procedures and remains one of the region’s leading referral hospitals for specialised treatment.
According to the RTI reply, 36 doctors retired from SKIMS between August 2020 and August 2025. During the same period, one faculty member applied for voluntary retirement (VRS), while three faculty members resigned. The institute stated that these cases remain under submission before the competent authority.
The RTI response further shows that against 294 sanctioned faculty and consultant posts, only 166 are currently filled, leaving 128 vacancies. Similarly, the paramedical workforce is operating under considerable strain, with only 730 employees in position against 1,493 sanctioned posts, resulting in 763 vacancies.
Despite these shortages, hospital services have continued without interruption.
The institute receives thousands of patients annually not only from different districts of Jammu & Kashmir but also from the Union Territory of Ladakh, where patients depend on SKIMS for super-speciality medical care, advanced surgeries and critical treatment unavailable elsewhere.
The RTI documents also outline the measures initiated by the administration to address the manpower deficit.
According to the response, 111 faculty vacancies have been referred to the Health and Medical Education Department for recruitment through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission. Of these, 68 posts have already been advertised through JKPSC notifications issued in February and July 2025, while advertisements for the remaining 43 posts are awaited.
The institute has also referred 845 non-gazetted and Class-IV vacancies to the Health and Medical Education Department for advertisement. In addition, proposals relating to the revival of 403 gazetted, non-gazetted and Class-IV posts are currently under process and will be forwarded to the Health and Medical Education Department for concurrence from the Finance Department.
Meanwhile, relating to surgical services indicates that SKIMS continues to perform almost all surgical procedures across its departments.
The institute clarified that only two specialised procedures—Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) and Isolated Limb Perfusion (ILP)—are not presently being conducted, as the required equipment is under procurement.
Officials said that once the equipment is acquired and installed, these procedures are also expected to become available, further strengthening the institute’s advanced cancer care capabilities.
The RTI disclosures underline the considerable pressure under which SKIMS is functioning, while also reflecting ongoing efforts by the administration to bridge manpower gaps through fresh recruitment and revival of vacant posts.
Healthcare experts believe that timely filling of vacancies would significantly enhance patient care, reduce the workload on existing medical professionals and strengthen the institute’s ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of people from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, who continue to rely heavily on SKIMS for specialised and life-saving treatment. (KNO)