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Srinagar, Aug 23 (UNI) Admitting that Jammu and Kashmir was facing shortage of water and specialist doctors, Health Minister Pandit Mangar Ram Sharma said efforts are going on to overcome the shortage.

Replying to members questions during zero hour in the Legislative Assembly, Pandit Sharma said it is true that state was facing shortage of specialist doctors.

He admitted that the decisions taken at District Board Meetings to post specialist doctors in District hospitals, particularly in Anantnag, could not be implemented.

If we will post specialist doctors in district hospital, our students doing MBBS will suffer, he said adding that there are vacant posts of professors and other teaching staff in government medical college Srinagar, Jammu and dental colleges.

He said until we get the teaching staff for the MBBS classes, posting of specialist doctors in district hospital was impossible.

However, he added that efforts are going on to recruit the specialist doctors, but candidates are not available.

Pandit Sharma said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is not only interested to post specialist doctors in district hospitals, but in other hospitals too.

Earlier, NC member Dr Mehboob Baig alleged that the decision taken in the board meetings to post specialist doctors in the hospital, has not been implemented. The government has violated its own order, he said.

The minister assured the members that government is aware of the difficulties and take measures to overcome the shortage of doctors soon.

Mr Sharma also admitted shortage of water in Jammu region.

He said sometimes because of power failure, the water cannot be lifted to filtration plants since almost all the water supply schemes are working power.

I have directed the Divisional Commission, Jammu, to coordinate between Public Health Engineering department and Power Development Department to make available electricity to water stations.

He said flood in rivers was another reason of water shortage. Due to flood, water in the rivers was very dirty which could not be supplied to people as its color was red, he said adding now the situation has improved and people will be supplied water properly.

UNI