Manzoor-ul-Hassan

Srinagar: The Health and Medical Education Department (H&MED) has failed to devise a mechanism to scrutinise dubious or unrecognised paramedical degrees and diplomas obtained by candidates from institutions outside the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Even as the department says that no paramedic college outside the jurisdiction of J&K state stands recognised by J&K Parademical/ Nursing Council since 2016, sources said many in-service candidates keep getting appointed or promoted on the basis of these degrees.
As per a circular issued by H&MED recently, the J&K Paramedical Council has not granted recognition to any outside institutions beyond 2016.
“Before 2016 only three paramedical institutions operational outside J&K were recognised by the paramedical council. The institutions include Institute of Para-Medical Technology, Pahari Chatterpuri, New Delhi, SAI Institute of Allied Sciences, Channa Patana, Ramanagram, Kamataka, Institute of Public Health and Hygiene Mahipalpura, New Delhi,” the circular said.
“The degrees or diplomas obtained by the students of J&K from these institutions beyond 2016 shall not be considered as valid for applying for various posts of the Health and Medical Education Department as may be advertised,” it reads.
Sources, however, told Kashmir Reader that H&MED is yet to come up with any mechanism to scrutinise credentials of paramedical students and in-service candidates who have applied for various technical posts and promotions on higher posts respectively, which is why the medical colleges continue to appoint and promote candidates based on unrecognised degrees.
A GMC Srinagar official told Kashmir Reader that the college didn’t have academic council or selection committees to check authentication of certificates for making appointments.
“Many class fourth employees have managed promotions against technical posts after producing unrecognised and dubious certificates,” he said. “This is a grave negligence as it has created confusion among the genuine candidates and those who have acquired degrees from various colleges of the state.”
As per an administrator, every month nearly 50 to 60 employees apply for promotions on different positions at GMC Srinagar and Jammu.
“They submit paramedical diploma and degree certificates obtained from unrecognised out-of-state institutes and easily get promotions on the basis of the same,” he said.
“After they get appointed on technical posts it has a direct bearing on patient care as this amounts to grave negligence because the employees promoted on the basis of dubious degrees do not know the basics of the field,” the administrator said.
Commissioner/Secretary H&ME Department, Atal Dulloo told Kashmir Reader that his administration was working on the policy and there would be checks on appointments based on dubious certificates.
“We will publicise the policy and official orders based on the policy so that no candidates gets through with the dubious and unrecognised degree,” he said.
Asked about the status of those who have applied for various posts on the basis of unrecognised degrees, Dulloo said: “I will issue the order soon and investigate the serious violations.”

KR Desk