Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, May 08 : Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri is grappling with a severe shortage of faculty, with only two out of 23 sanctioned professor positions currently filled.
This information was disclosed through a Right to Information (RTI) file obtained by RTI activist MM Shuja and accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Among the 364 sanctioned posts for GMC Rajouri, only 219 are currently occupied, leaving a staggering 145 positions vacant. These vacancies include crucial roles such as professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior residents, demonstrators, medical officers, junior residents, and paramedical staff.
The hospital is also facing significant infrastructural deficits, lacking essential facilities such as MRI, radiotherapy, a cath lab, Hormone analyzers, and critical care ambulances. The shortage of hostel rooms, numbering at 132, adds to the challenges faced by the institution.
Another alarming revelation is the surrendering of allocated funds over the past five years due to delays in expenditure. In the fiscal year 2023-24 alone, a substantial amount of 427.883 lakhs was surrendered, out of a total allocation of 5955.167 lakhs. Similar instances of surrendered funds occurred in previous years, indicating inefficiencies in budget utilization.
The situation is further compounded by underutilisation of funds allocated under Centrally-sponsored schemes, with a much disparity between allocated and spent amounts in recent years. Despite this, GMC Rajouri has treated thousands of patients and conducted numerous surgeries over the past five years, which highlights the critical role it plays in providing healthcare services to the community—(KNO)
