In a commendable and necessary process, the Health and Medical Education Department for Jammu and Kashmir while looking at the referred vacancies of gazetted and non-gazetted posts for the recruitment body is confirming action.
This is not merely accounting activity, this is action taken towards a more reliable organized and respectful health care service for the people of the Union Territory.
We should all welcome this action and look upon it as a initiation of a new governence culture with accountability and scheduling.
Far too long we have had the experience of the vacancies accounted for, yet not in action to hire for the very vacancies, which in turn has held hostage to work flow efficiency to our health care institutions.
Without focused hospitals, and professional capacity to deliver safe and effective nursing care to the people, commitment has little bearing on quality of patient care.
This evaluation of the status of work flow for these vacancies is certainly addressing a concern from the very root of the problem.
The department, recruitment agencies, and the public will now have a full picture, informed by data, about where a bottleneck exists, and that creates a sense of accountability.
There will be a systematic review to ensure files do not sit for extended periods and ensure timely, purposeful follow-up. In the end, and most importantly, it will be organized to keep the recruiting process every bit as efficient and on time into the distant future.
There are broad consequences from this work. If spots are filled efficiently, more doctors, nurses, paramedics, and technicians will be available to provide services on the ground.
That equates to shorter wait times for patients, better organized hospital wards, and thus an improved health care service. For youth in J&K, it equates to a fairer pathway to employment quicker and in resolving ambiguity that has existed far too long on their path to employment.
This fits very nicely into the overall vision of the administration to improve governance and take care of the safety and welfare of its citizens. This is an example of a government that cares about not only finding problems, but being involved in the work of finding solutions.
The Health Department is modelling the behaviour of some actions other departments may want to explore.
