Newer MCs face heavy patient load
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Mar 10: The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences has recorded the most favourable doctor-patient ratio among major Government Medical Institutions in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing to marked disparities in the availability of doctors across public hospitals in the Union Territory, according to official data.
The figures show that SKIMS Soura has a doctor-patient ratio of about 1:5.96, indicating comparatively higher availability of doctors and a substantially lower patient burden on medical staff compared to most other institutions.
In comparison, the data shows, the doctor-patient ratio at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar and its associated hospitals stands at 1:67, while GMC Jammu and its associated hospitals report an average ratio of 1:68, reflecting similar patient loads across the two major tertiary care centres.
However, the patient burden varies across hospitals functioning under GMC Jammu.
The highest patient load among the associated facilities is reported at the Chest Disease Hospital and GMC & Hospital Jammu, both recording a ratio of 1:90. These are followed by SMGS Hospital (1:82) and Bone & Joint Hospital (1:73).
The Super Specialty Hospital Jammu has a doctor-patient ratio of 1:63, while the Psychiatric Disease Hospital records 1:30. The State Cancer Institute Jammu (1:26) and MCH Gandhi Nagar (1:22) show comparatively lower patient loads per doctor.
While established tertiary hospitals show relatively balanced ratios, as per the data, the situation appears significantly more strained at several newer Government medical colleges.
According to the data, GMC Kathua has one of the highest doctor-patient ratios at around 1:590, indicating a very heavy patient burden on doctors.
GMC Udhampur reports a ratio of 1:361, while GMC Rajouri and GMC Baramulla record ratios of 1:261 and 1:235, respectively.
The data suggests that although sanctioned posts exist in these institutions, the effective doctor-patient ratio often fluctuates due to vacancies in certain specialties, academic responsibilities of faculty members and increasing patient inflow following expansion of clinical services.
At GMC Anantnag, the ratios vary across institutions. MMABM Hospital reports a doctor-patient ratio of 1:150, while the Maternity and Child Care Hospital (M&CCH) Anantnag records a ratio of 1:30.
Relatively better doctor availability is also seen at Government Medical College Doda. The doctor-patient ratio with regard to faculty alone stands at 1:25, and improves further to around 1:13.75 when faculty and senior residents are included.
The data also provides an overview of the broader healthcare network under the Health Department. In the Jammu Division, the doctor-patient ratio is estimated at 1:350, while in the Kashmir Division it stands at approximately 1:22, based on average patient footfall.
Overall, the figures highlight wide disparities in doctor availability across medical institutions in J&K, with newer medical colleges and peripheral institutions facing a much heavier patient load compared to established tertiary care centres where doctor availability is relatively better.
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