Severe Doctor Shortage Strains Punjab’s Government Hospitals

INDIA: Healthcare services in Punjab’s government hospitals are under significant strain due to a critical shortage of medical professionals. Reports indicate that 59% of medical officer positions and 57% of specialist doctor positions remain vacant, despite the state government’s repeated assurances that health and education are its top priorities. The shortage has reached alarming levels in several key districts, severely hampering healthcare delivery across the state.

Fazilka District Struggles with Vacancies

Fazilka, a border district, has been particularly affected, with only 51 specialist doctors out of the 152 sanctioned posts currently filled. The district is also short-staffed when it comes to medical officers, with just 23 of the sanctioned 82 positions occupied. Alarmingly, the district is without a regular civil surgeon, assistant civil surgeon, or district immunisation officer. According to health department officials, out of the sanctioned seven senior medical officers (SMOs) at the Abohar Civil Hospital, only one has been posted.

The situation is further complicated by an ongoing vacancy for the district’s civil surgeon. A district dental officer has been acting as an interim civil surgeon following the previous surgeon’s transfer. However, a stay order from the High Court has stalled the appointment of a permanent civil surgeon. The Fazilka district hospital also lacks a physician, and emergency medical services are suffering as a result.

Sangrur Faces Shortfalls, Doctors Take on Multiple Roles

In Sangrur, the home district of Punjab’s Chief Minister, the shortage is equally concerning. The district hospital, which requires eight emergency medical officers (EMOs), currently has only one. As a result, specialist doctors have been forced to take on EMO duties, which impacts their ability to fulfil their outpatient department (OPD) responsibilities. One doctor, speaking anonymously, noted, “Here, specialist doctors work as EMOs at the cost of their outpatient department (OPD) duty, causing inconvenience to the patients visiting here.”

The situation extends to other health facilities in the district, including sub-divisional hospitals (SDHs) in Dhuri and Sunam, where only one EMO has been posted, leaving specialist doctors to manage emergency duties. Inderjeet Manjeet Singh, the Sangrur district president of the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), expressed concern over the strain this places on healthcare workers and patients alike. “The gap between the sanctioned and filled posts is huge and needs to be addressed so that poor patients don’t suffer when specialists are sent on VIP or night duties as EMOs,” he said, emphasizing the need for timely promotions to retain doctors.

Ludhiana and Mansa Hospitals Under Pressure

In Punjab’s largest district, Ludhiana, which has one divisional hospital, four sub-divisional hospitals, and 10 community health centres, the shortage of physicians is stark. Currently, only three physicians serve the entire district, with one posted at the divisional hospital and the others stationed at Khanna and Macchiwara SDHs.

At the Mother and Child Hospital in Jagraon, there is no regular paediatrician available. Patients in need of paediatric care must rely on an on-call doctor who is brought in from other facilities. Similarly, in Mansa district, a psychiatrist who is posted at the district’s de-addiction centre must divide his time between the rehabilitation centre, the divisional hospital, and the de-addiction centre, all of which are located 8 to 10 kilometres apart.

Protests and Demands from Medical Staff

Frustrated by the ongoing shortage and the lack of progress in addressing it, PCMSA doctors have initiated a protest to press their demands. Starting on September 9, they suspended OPD services for three hours daily, with plans for a full-day OPD suspension from September 12 to 15. If their demands remain unmet, doctors have threatened to halt medico-legal services from September 16 onwards.

PCMSA state president, Dr Akhil Sarin, highlighted the depth of the crisis, stating that out of 2,689 sanctioned specialist doctor posts across Punjab, 1,554 are vacant. Likewise, 1,246 out of 2,293 medical officer posts remain unfilled. Dr Sarin stressed that the government must not only address the staffing shortfalls but also improve working conditions and reinstate the assured career progression (ACP) scheme, which guarantees promotions after four, nine, and fourteen years of service. The ACP was suspended in 2021 during the Congress government’s implementation of a new pay commission.

“Over 1,500 doctors have been waiting for promotion,” Dr Sarin explained, adding that the absence of proper pension benefits under the current system has deterred new recruits from joining government healthcare positions. “Doctors recruited onwards January 1, 2004 have not been even getting OPS benefits. Hence, there are hardly any pension benefits and the government is also holding ACPs, so who will get attracted to work in government departments?”

Outlook Remains Uncertain

As doctors prepare for further protests, the future of healthcare services in Punjab remains uncertain. With negotiations between the doctors and the Punjab government’s Cabinet Sub-Committee scheduled for September 11, there is hope that some resolution might be reached. However, if these talks fail, healthcare delivery across the state could face even more significant disruptions in the coming weeks.