The State Administrative Council (SAC) on Wednesday approved amendment in the Jammu and Kashmir health and family welfare (Gazetted) service recruitment, an official spokesman said on September 5 evening.

He said the SAC which met here under the chairmanship of Governor, Satya Pal Malik approved amendment in the Jammu and Kashmir Health and Family Welfare (Gazetted) Service Recruitment Rules, 2013, in so far as it relates to dispensing of ‘oral test’ for selection to the posts of Medical Officers in the Health and Medical Education Department. The SAC further directed the Health and Medical Education Department to immediately formulate and finalize the eligibility and selection criteria for the posts of Medical Officers, including the standard of written test in consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.

The Health & Medical Education Department is one of the essential services departments and Medical Officers are the cutting-edge level functionaries and backbone of the Health Department. The decision to dispense with oral test will enable fast track recruitment of these Medical Officers in the larger public interest, which in turn will further improve the patient care across the State including in far flung and remote pockets. There are over 1000 vacancies of Medical Officers, which if filled fast, will improve the health services in the State.