The Jammu and Kashmir administration has approved creation of 33 posts in Government Medical Colleges (GMC) in Jammu and Srinagar, an official spokesman said on March 9. 



The sanction was accorded at a meeting of the State Administrative Council (SAC) under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik in Jammu on March 8, the spokesman said.  With the creation of these 33 posts, he said the long pending issues of stagnation of employees in GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar would get addressed to a large extent.

The spokesman said the SAC also accorded sanction for the creation of 85 posts for six Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM) Schools and five General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) Schools in the state. The posts include six posts of principal, 18 posts of nursing tutors and six of clerks for ANM Schools. There are five posts of principal, 35 posts of sister tutor and five each posts of clerk, library assistant and lab attendant for GNM schools, the spokesman said.

As per Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms, the health sector in the state is facing shortage of nurses. Against the national ratio of 1:5 of nurses to a bed, it is 1:10 in the state. The health department requires 3,193 nurses, while the actual staff strength is 1,290.

Six ANM and five GNM schools were sanctioned by the Centre in 2009-10. While the ANM schools are in Bandipora, Budgam, Kishtwar, Ramban and Shopian and GNM schools are in Kulgam, Udhampur, Akhnoor, Pulwama and Kargil. All 11 schools have been completed and handed over to the health department. 

These institutions would annually produce 540 skilled nursing staff. Further, the number of nursing students will go up when additional 10 ANM and GNM Schools, which are coming up under central assistance under Phase-II, are completed and made functional, the spokesman said.