SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s premier tertiary care hospital, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) at Soura, is facing a severe manpower deficit, with more than 1,200 sanctioned positions lying vacant. This critical shortage, exceeding 50 percent of its total sanctioned strength, is raising significant concerns regarding patient care and the overall efficiency of healthcare delivery across the Valley.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that out of 2,262 sanctioned posts at SKIMS Soura, only 1,040 employees are currently in service, leaving a substantial 1,222 positions unfilled. This acute lack of personnel impacts various critical departments within the hospital.
The faculty wing is particularly hard-hit, with 98 out of 250 sanctioned positions remaining vacant, leaving only 152 faculty members to manage academic and clinical responsibilities. The paramedical staff also faces immense pressure, with 785 vacancies out of 1,303 sanctioned posts, meaning only 518 staff members are available for essential patient support services. The nursing cadre is similarly affected, with 339 posts vacant against a sanctioned strength of 709, leaving 370 nurses to attend to patient needs.
This widespread vacancy rate has understandably caused alarm among the public, who consider SKIMS Soura as the primary referral and tertiary care centre for the region. Many attendants and patients expressed that SKIMS represents a final hope for critical cases, and the current staff shortage at such a vital institution points to a larger systemic issue in healthcare staffing for the region.
Despite the overwhelming workload and the significant strain on existing staff, doctors and paramedical professionals at SKIMS Soura are reportedly working diligently to provide necessary treatment. However, the sheer volume of patient traffic, coupled with the high number of vacant posts, places immense pressure on the available workforce. This invariably impacts the hospital’s efficiency and the quality of patient care, prompting urgent calls for government intervention to fill the substantial number of vacancies.
A similar staffing crisis is also evident at SKIMS Medical College Hospital in Bemina. This institution has 393 vacant posts out of a total sanctioned strength of 1,167. The vacancies include 70 faculty positions, 12 registrars, six junior residents, and 23 other gazetted posts. In the paramedical and nursing categories, there are 76 and 67 additional paramedical staff positions respectively, alongside 53 nursing posts and 86 Class-IV posts remaining unfilled.
The persistent and widespread vacancies in both major SKIMS facilities underscore significant challenges in healthcare management and strategic staffing policies within Jammu and Kashmir. Stakeholders have emphasized the imperative for authorities to prioritize addressing this critical issue to ensure that the population receives the standard of healthcare expected from a premier medical institute and to improve patient care across the Union Territory.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
