Akhnoor | Jammu
Serious questions are being raised over the functioning of the AYUSH Department in Jammu & Kashmir following the alleged deputation of several favoured medical officers to the Government Ayurvedic Medical College, Akhnoor, despite no requirement, sanctioned posts, or postgraduate courses in certain departments.
According to sources within the department, medical officers originally appointed to serve in peripheral dispensaries and primary healthcare institutions are being repeatedly deputed to the Ayurvedic College, allegedly at the behest of the Director AYUSH, Dr. Suresh Sharma, bypassing established service norms and manpower requirements.
No Postgraduate Courses, Yet Deputations Continue
It has been pointed out that Government Ayurvedic Medical College, Akhnoor does not run postgraduate programmes in several departments, yet medical officers have been deputed to subjects such as Agad Tantra (Forensic Medicine) and Rasa Shastra, raising concerns about the necessity and intent behind such postings.
Experts question why deputations are being made when undergraduate teaching requirements are already being met, and when qualified unemployed postgraduate Ayurvedic doctors remain without appointments.
Dispensaries Starved of Doctors, Patients Suffer
Healthcare activists allege that these deputed officers avoid working in AYUSH dispensaries, where they are primarily appointed, resulting in acute staff shortages and compromised patient care, especially in rural and underserved areas.
“These officers are drawing full government salaries and future pensions, yet are reluctant to serve patients in the field. Instead, they manage postings through influence and proximity to the authorities,” alleged a senior AYUSH doctor on condition of anonymity.
Moreover as per Norms of Ncism Ministry of Ayush Professor, Associate professor etc can’t be part of Faculty if they don’t have a prescribed teaching experience in the Department of Prasuti tantra, Shalakaya and Shalaya but department is with a vested interests breaking all the rules and regulations to adjust some blue eyed persons.
Postgraduate Education After Joining Service Under Scanner
Concerns have also been raised that several deputed officers completed their postgraduate studies after joining government service, allegedly causing a significant financial burden on the state exchequer, without corresponding service delivery in dispensaries after completion of their studies.
Medical associations argue that such practices block employment opportunities for unemployed postgraduate Ayurvedic doctors, who remain eligible, trained, and willing to serve in teaching institutions.
Questions Over Timing and Transparency
The controversy has intensified as the Director AYUSH is due to retire on 31 January 2026, prompting calls for a thorough scrutiny of deputation orders issued in recent months.
Critics allege that daily or frequent deputation orders are being issued without transparent justification, creating an impression of favouritism, misuse of authority, and systemic corruption within the department.
Demand for Probe and Policy Reform
Healthcare professionals and unemployed postgraduate doctors are demanding:
• An independent inquiry into deputations made to Govt Ayurvedic Medical College, Akhnoor
• Immediate rationalisation of postings based on actual institutional requirements
• Priority recruitment of unemployed postgraduate Ayurvedic doctors
• Restoration of adequate staffing in AYUSH dispensaries to protect patient interests
As allegations mount, observers stress that transparent governance and accountability are essential to prevent erosion of public trust in the AYUSH healthcare system and to ensure that public resources serve patients—not personal interests.https://jammuvoice.com/
