Transfer and Elevation Orders for Jammu and Kashmir Doctors Have Left Them Confused

Srinagar: On April 21, the health and medical education department of Jammu and Kashmir, issued an order directing the immediate repatriation of all doctors posted at the Government Medical Colleges at Jammu and Srinagar, and at various associated hospitals.

The order – number 321-JK(HME) of 2025 – cited administrative lapses and the urgent need to shore up healthcare in peripheral areas as the reasons behind the move.

It stated: “Non-compliance with the order will be treated as a serious act of insubordination, invoking immediate disciplinary action, including withholding of salary and proceedings against the delinquent doctors under service rules.”

It further warned that any violation, including drawing salaries in favour of the repatriated doctors, would be treated as a serious financial irregularity. It added that such actions would also invite disciplinary proceedings against the concerned Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDO) under the applicable rules.

In limbo

Given the seriousness and clarity of the order, it would appear that the department had already identified vacant posts in peripheral areas, listed the overstaying doctors, and ensured their timely adjustment before issuing the order, leaving little scope for ambiguity or excuse.

However, the doctors who complied with the order and reported to the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir found themselves in complete limbo. No groundwork had been done to accommodate them. They were left without postings, salaries, and answers.

It took more than a month for the Directorate to post the repatriated doctors, and ironically, despite the original premise of a "dearth in the peripheries," 13 were placed in Srinagar while the rest were randomly assigned to Budgam, Pulwama, Ganderbal, and Baramulla districts.

Several of the posting locations have reportedly been found to be either non-existent or barely functional, with minimal patient footfall-raising concerns over the genuine intent of these placements.

As the doctors were assigned to unsanctioned vacancies, their salaries could not be processed, leaving them in a prolonged state of financial and professional uncertainty.

Many doctors, previously engaged in administrative or teaching roles and distanced from clinical practice, struggled to make sense of the transfers, unsure how they could professionally handle patients after losing touch with both clinical nuance and updated pharmaceutical knowledge.

“For the past several years, I’ve been away from clinical duties, assigned instead to administrative and teaching responsibilities,” said a doctor, who wished not to be named. “I haven’t diagnosed a single case in ages, nor have I kept pace with the rapid developments in medicine or pharmacology.”

“But I was transferred to a peripheral hospital. No transition plan, no refresher course, no time to prepare – just an order to pick up the stethoscope again and start seeing patients,” she continued.

“I worry every day. What if I miss something crucial? What if a child with subtle signs of meningitis comes to me, and I dismiss it as the flu? What if I prescribe a drug no longer in use, or overlook a life-threatening reaction,” she said.

Elevations

What initially seemed like a straightforward repatriation order turned out to be riddled with procedural flaws, disrupting the professional stability these doctors had been working within.

The real twist came a month later with Government Order No. 429-JK(HME) of 2025, dated June 28 and signed by the same official, Dr Abid Rasheed Shah. Titled "Transfers and Postings," the order took many by surprise.

The order recalled 33 doctors and controversially elevated several junior doctors to key in-charge positions, including deputy medical superintendents, medical superintendents, and the state TB officer, bypassing their seniors by several years.

These promotions appear to have ignored official seniority lists and longstanding service records, raising serious questions about fairness and transparency in the department’s decision-making process. In some cases, doctors with no confirmed seniority or promotion records were given key leadership roles.

The move has triggered resentment among senior professionals, many nearing retirement, and fuelled allegations of arbitrary decisions and political favouritism.

Several of the doctors who were conveniently adjusted are widely believed to be "blue-eyed" favourites or individuals with strong political connections or the kin of police officers.

“This is a clear violation of the Civil Service Rules (CSR),” an administrative official with knowledge of service rules, said. “Superseding seniors by several years to promote juniors not only demoralises the entire cadre but also undermines the integrity of the system.

When The Wire tried to reach Dr Shah, calls and texts went unanswered.

'Beyond comprehension'

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Doctors Coordination Committee (JKDCC) has taken strong exception to the developments, approaching higher authorities to express their concern.

Its convenor, Dr Mohammad Yousuf Tak, confirmed that he met with the state health minister Sakina Itoo and apprised her of the situation.

Dr Tak added that a similar issue was brought to light three years ago when Atul Dulloo was the additional chief secretary of health.

“Back then, the matter involving some 17 junior doctors was rectified after we flagged it. What has happened now is simply beyond comprehension,” he said, pledging that JKDCC would pursue the matter with the concerned authorities to ensure justice is done.

The Wire reached out to minister Itoo, who, after hearing the full account and promising to look into the matter, initially asked for the details to be sent via WhatsApp but later asked this reporter to meet her at the Civil Secretariat two days later. This reporter reached the Civil Secretariat half an hour ahead of the scheduled time, but calls to the minister went unanswered. WhatsApp messages were left unread and received no response.

Director of the health services, Jahangir Bakhshi, responded to a WhatsApp message saying he was in a meeting at the Secretariat. Bakhshi did not respond to messages since.

A senior journalist, Beig Shamim Ahmed, who runs a widely followed Facebook page, has amplified the concerns of these medical officers over alleged irregularities in administrative postings. Quoting unnamed doctors, he described the move as a “violation of service norms” and a "pick-and-choose policy" lacking any “transparent” criteria.

This is not an isolated case. Transfer orders across various departments in Jammu and Kashmir are routinely flouted, with many officials managing to stay put on one pretext or another.

An example is the education department's transfer order No. 488-JK(Edu) of 2025, dated May 27, 2025, issued by the education secretary Shantmanu (financial commissioner, additional chief secretary), calling for the transfer of 97 officials – many of whom continue to serve at their original postings.

Both departments are held by Sakina Itoo.

Since the reading down of Article 370, the Modi government has aggressively projected Jammu and Kashmir as a model of progress and good governance. But beyond the optics, the reality tells a different story – one where even official paperwork exposes administrative decay.

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