Srinagar: The medical infrastructure and the healthcare workers in Jammu and Kashmir are disproportionate to its population, despite the claims of its government that health facilities and services are satisfactory.
According to the 2001 census, the total population of Jammu and Kashmir was 12.5 million. But there has been no significant increase in the number of healthcare workers, especially doctors, and medical infrastructure.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that the ratio of doctors and patient in any population should be 1:1000 but Jammu and Kashmir is far behind as it has one doctor is available for 1,880 (1:1880) people.
The total number of doctors in the Jammu and Kashmir Health Department is 3,225 including 2,100 medical officers, 600 consultants and 525 dental surgeons. Besides, the National Health Mission has 500 doctors and about 6,500 paramedics.
According to the official data, the Jammu and Kashmir Health Department has 3,289 medical centres including 20 district hospitals, 77 community centres, 6 emergency hospitals, 427 primary hospitals, 2013 sub-centres and 9 maternal and child care hospitals.
In addition, there are four medical colleges, including two old colleges in Jammu and Srinagar apart from Sikkim Bemina medical College in Srinagar and Batra Medical College in Jammu. As many as five new hospitals are under construction since 2013.