900 Doctors Hired in Two Years to Fill Remote Area Shortages, Says Sakina Itoo

Sakina Itoo, a senior health official, announced that 900 medical doctors have been recruited over the last two years to address the chronic shortage of physicians in Jammu and Kashmir's remote districts. The recruitment drive targets villages and hill stations where specialist and even primary care services have long been scarce.

The newly appointed doctors are being posted to government health centres, sub‑district hospitals and primary health units that previously operated with minimal staff. Authorities hope that the increased manpower will improve routine check‑ups, maternal‑child health services and emergency response in these hard‑to‑reach locations.

The recruitment effort forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen the state's public health infrastructure. Officials indicated that training, accommodation and incentives are being provided to retain the doctors in these areas for the long term, though detailed implementation plans were not disclosed.