CM Omar Abdullah urges newly appointed medical officers to serve remote areas
Medical Officers
Srinagar: Newly appointed Medical Officers under the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Health and Medical Education received their appointment orders from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at a ceremony held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on Tuesday.
According to the news reports, while personally handing over the appointment orders to the newly appointed doctors posted across Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister congratulated them on joining government service and urged them to consider the appointment the beginning of a new chapter dedicated to serving the people.
Addressing the gathering, Omar Abdullah said the appointments marked the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance and sacrifice by the young doctors and their families.
“Today, a new chapter of your lives is about to begin. What you will write in this chapter and what you will leave for others to read is up to you,” he said, while acknowledging the contribution and sacrifices of the parents and families who supported the young doctors throughout their journey, Daily Excelsior reported.
Recalling the rigorous journey of medical education, including training, internship and recruitment, the Chief Minister said the newly appointed Medical Officers had earned their positions through sustained effort. However, he emphasised that entering government service, particularly in the health sector, came with a greater responsibility.
He urged the doctors to serve wherever they were posted, with special emphasis on remote and underserved areas. According to him, strengthening healthcare delivery at the grassroots level was essential to reducing the pressure on major hospitals in Jammu and Srinagar.
Speaking to the Daily Excelsior, he said that people should not have to travel from sub-district and district hospitals to the major cities for routine medical procedures and treatment. “Normal deliveries, gallbladder and appendicitis surgeries—these should be available at the sub-district level, and at least at the district level where they cannot be provided at the sub-district level. But often we see patients being referred directly to Srinagar or Jammu,” he said. The Chief Minister said the Government expected newly appointed doctors to help change this situation by providing quality and accessible healthcare closer to where people live.
Abdullah acknowledged that doctors posted in remote areas would reasonably expect the Government to provide adequate infrastructure, connectivity and working conditions.
“You will expect us to provide you with proper infrastructure so that you can carry out your duties properly. You will expect us to provide you with proper connectivity in the areas where we post you,” he said, assuring that the Government would continue working to improve service conditions and healthcare infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the need for a change in the mindset surrounding postings in remote areas. Referring to an earlier interaction with newly appointed doctors, he noted that even relatively accessible locations were sometimes perceived as difficult postings. “We have to change the future of Jammu and Kashmir. To change the future, we are paying special attention to two things—education and health,” Abdullah said.
He described education and healthcare as the two fundamental pillars of Jammu and Kashmir's development, noting that progress in other sectors would not reach its full potential unless the population was educated and healthy.
The Chief Minister said this was why his Government was attaching particular importance to programmes and initiatives of the Education and Health departments.
The Chief Minister also highlighted government efforts to make medical education more accessible by substantially subsidising medical education in J&K. He noted that government medical colleges in the Union Territory offer medical education at comparatively lower costs than many other states.
He said that the expense was happily accepted because the Government wanted more doctors to be produced. He added that the Government had also taken steps, in coordination with the Centre, to increase the intake capacity of medical colleges in J&K.
Assuring the newly appointed Medical Officers of continued Government support, he said that the Government would improve their service conditions so that they could carry out their duties without fear. He added that the Government would also improve infrastructure and address shortages in medical colleges.
Calling upon the doctors to make the most of their long careers in public service, the Chief Minister expressed hope that they would dedicate the coming decades to serving the people and contributing to the development of Jammu and Kashmir. “You have entered the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Please do your work with that spirit—with the hope that people see you in these positions, and with the hope that your parents and family, who helped you reach here by making sacrifices and supporting you, can be proud of you,” he said, reports Daily Excelsior.
Calling upon the doctors to make the most of their careers in public service, the Chief Minister urged them to work with dedication and compassion and make their families proud.
Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education M. Raju, Mission Director, National Health Mission J&K Akriti Sagar, faculty members of Health Services Kashmir, newly appointed Medical Officers and their parents were present on the occasion.
