Srinagar: Senior political activist and former health campaigner Mir Arifa Jan has urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to immediately absorb unemployed MBBS graduates into the public health system, warning that continued delays are deepening the region’s healthcare crisis.
In a detailed representation addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, Jan highlighted that Jammu and Kashmir continues to fall short of the doctor–population ratio recommended by the World Health Organization, particularly in rural and border areas. She pointed out that despite hundreds of MBBS graduates passing out each year, many remain unemployed due to limited recruitment, forcing some to migrate outside the Union Territory.
The letter emphasizes that the region’s growing population, difficult terrain, and high disease burden require urgent strengthening of primary and secondary healthcare facilities. Jan argued that the non-absorption of trained doctors not only wastes public investment in medical education but also compromises patient care in government hospitals.
Calling for time-bound recruitment, she appealed for transparent and regular selection processes, creation of additional posts, and preferential deployment of doctors to underserved areas across Jammu and Kashmir. She further stressed that prompt action would reduce unemployment among medical graduates while significantly improving healthcare delivery.
The appeal has reignited debate on healthcare staffing and the need for policy reforms to align local health planning with international standards.
