Jammu: There is a dearth of Specialists in the State which serves as the major hindrance in operationalization of Super Specialty Hospitals to its full capacity, the state economic survey report 2017 said.
The doctor patient ratio in State is 1:1658 as against the recommended norm of 1:1000 of World Health Organization (WHO). “To address the shortage of manpower, additional manpower in health sector has been hired on contractual basis under ‘National Health Mission’ in J&K State,” says the report, tabled by minister for finance Dr Haseeb Drabu in legislative assembly earlier this week.
The number of doctors in the state is 39892, out of which 2455 posts are vacant. The supplementary manpower under NHM is 7014 comprising of 38 specialists, 557 MBBS doctors, 872 AYUSH doctors, 16 dental surgeons, 5531 paramedics, it says.
“Although the number of health institutions has increased considerably, still there is every possibility that some areas would have remained away for 100% coverage. Hence, the need to augment more health institutions shall remain one of the chief objectives of the State Health Plan,” it says further.
Regarding female foeticide, the reports said that as per the Census 2011, there are 859 females per 1000 males in J&K State. But when this data is compared to the Census Report 2001 it shows decline of 33 females i.e. in 2001 the Sex ratio of the State was 892. “This decline in Sex ratio becomes matter of more concern when it is compared to National Average i.e. 914 females per 1000 males as per Census 2011,” the report added.
As per the last census, all the 22 districts witnessed decrease in the number of female children as south Kashmir Pulwama tops the list with the loss of 217 female children per thousand. Budgam in central Kashmir follows with the significant fall of 172. While as Pulwama (829) and Budgam (832) have fared as the worst, these two districts on the top of the best performing districts with 1046 and 1004 respectively in 2001.
Seven out of ten districts in Kashmir also lost more than a hundred females every thousand as per the 2011 census. While Baramulla lost 98 female children per thousand, Bandipore stood at -75 and Srinagar at -63. Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal stood at -151, north Kashmir’s Kupwara (-142), southern Kashmir district of Anantnag (-136), Shopian (-133) and Kulgam (-118) topped the list of dubious distinction.
