JAMMU, FEBRUARY 12, 2026: During a pivotal Question Hour of the 2026 Budget Session, Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakeena Itoo lauded Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s “remarkable” introduction of specific financial incentives for employees stationed in the region’s most isolated territories, framing the policy as a transformative catalyst for public service efficiency. Responding to queries from Legislator Javaid Ahmad Mirchal, Itoo emphasized that these fiscal motivators are designed to stabilize the workforce in vital sectors like healthcare and education, directly addressing the systemic “dearth of staff” in border zones such as SDH Tangdar Karnah. To bridge existing gaps, she revealed that the department has officially mobilized the recruitment of 480 Medical Officers through the JKPSC, with a strict mandate that successful candidates be deployed to underserved peripheral institutions.
Furthermore, the Minister detailed a massive administrative push to fill the paramedical and non-gazetted ranks, noting that 292 vacancies have already been advertised via JKSSB, while an additional 802 positions—spanning from MTS to sanitation roles—are currently under departmental review for imminent referral. Highlighting a zero-tolerance policy for absenteeism in these sensitive zones, Itoo confirmed the termination of two doctors who failed to report to their 2024 postings at Hajinar and Gundishor, while clarifying that National Health Mission (NHM) staff relocations in the Karnah constituency remain strictly limited to justified medical or administrative emergencies to ensure that local healthcare delivery remains robust and uninterrupted.
