To augment the healthcare facilities in the rural and far flung areas of the state, Jammu and Kashmir health and medical education department on January 15 issued appointment orders to 921 medical officers recruited on fast-track basis, an official spokesperson said.

The department completed the process of recruitment in record time of three months and issued the appointment orders to the selected candidates, he said. To fast-track the recruitment process, the department had made relevant provisions in the rules, which paved the way for making the recruitment process a time bound exercise.

The department had referred 1,000 vacancies of medical officers of the Jammu and Kashmir health and family welfare (gazetted) service to the Public Service Commission for making selections, the spokesperson said. After conducting the written examination, the commission finally recommended 921 candidates for selection as medical officers, he said.

Out of the total appointees, over 500 were posted in different districts of Jammu region, 306 in Kashmir Valley and 85 in Ladakh, he added. According to the government order, the spokesperson said, the appointees would submit their joining reports to their concerned drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) within a period of 21 days.

In case of failure to join within the stipulated period, the appointment shall be deemed cancelled ab initio without any further notice, he said. Governor Satya Pal Malik, Advisor to Governor K Vijay Kumar and Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam conveyed their best wishes to the newly appointed medical officers. 

They expressed hope that the medical officers will work with zest to provide the best healthcare services to people, particularly those living in rural and far flung areas of the state.