Punjab doctors strike: Punjab govt hospitals face 59% medical officer and 57% specialist doctor shortage

PTC News Desk: Punjab government hospitals are facing a severe shortage of healthcare professionals, with 59% of medical officer (MO) posts and 57% of specialist doctor positions remaining vacant, severely impacting healthcare services across the state. Despite the Punjab government’s repeated assurances that health and education are top priorities, the gaps in staffing persist.

In Fazilka, a border district, there are only 51 specialist doctors against 152 sanctioned positions and 23 medical officers against 82 sanctioned posts. The district is also without key health officials, such as a regular civil surgeon, assistant civil surgeon, or district immunisation officer. Of the seven sanctioned senior medical officers (SMOs), only one has been appointed at Abohar Civil Hospital.

Additionally, the Fazilka district hospital lacks an SMO and a physician, while the district dental officer is serving as the acting civil surgeon following the transfer of the previous one. The new civil surgeon’s transfer has been stayed by the High Court, leaving the post vacant.

In Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district of Sangrur, the situation is similarly dire. Only one emergency medical officer (EMO) is posted at the district hospital, where there should be eight. Specialist doctors have been filling in for EMOs, sacrificing their outpatient department (OPD) duties and causing inconvenience to patients. The sub-divisional hospitals (SDHs) in Dhuri and Sunam face the same issue, with only one EMO posted in each.

Inderjeet Manjeet Singh, district president of the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) in Sangrur, stated, “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. Moreover, doctors need timely promotions to discourage them from leaving.”

In Ludhiana, the largest district in Punjab, the problem is equally concerning. The district has one divisional hospital (DH), four SDHs, and 10 community health centres (CHCs), but only three physicians are posted—one at the DH, one at Khanna SDH, and one at Macchiwara SDH. The Mother and Child Hospital in Jagraon is without a regular paediatrician, with an on-call paediatrician arranged from other hospitals as needed.

Mansa faces a similar struggle, where a psychiatrist at the district de-addiction centre is forced to shuttle between the rehabilitation centre, the DH, and the de-addiction centre, which are all 8-10 km apart.

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In response to these conditions, PCMSA doctors have initiated a protest starting September 9. They are suspending OPD services from 9 am to 12 pm until September 11, with a full-day OPD suspension and halt of elective surgeries planned from September 12 to 15. If talks with the Punjab government’s Cabinet Sub-Committee on September 11 do not lead to a resolution, the doctors will suspend OPDs entirely from September 16 onwards, including medico-legal services.

PCMSA state president Dr Akhil Sarin highlighted that of the 2,689 sanctioned specialist doctor posts, 1,554 remain vacant, while 1,246 of the 2,293 medical officer positions are also unfilled. He emphasized that the government must address these vacancies and fulfil the doctors’ demands. Dr Sarin noted that an assured career progression (ACP) scheme, which ensures promotions after 4, 9, and 14 years, has not been restored since its suspension in 2021. Over 1,500 doctors are currently awaiting promotions. Additionally, doctors recruited after January 1, 2004, do not receive OPS benefits, further discouraging new recruits.

“Without proper pay and promotion schemes, it’s difficult to attract qualified professionals to government jobs. The government must take action,” Dr Sarin added.

If the September 11 negotiations fail, the protesting doctors plan to intensify their strike, further disrupting healthcare services across Punjab.

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