255 Specialist doctors appointed to Govt Hospitals in Punjab

Ludhiana: In a major step to boost Punjab's healthcare infrastructure, the state government has assigned stations and postings to 255 doctors under the bonded government service program. These doctors, who have recently completed their Postgraduate (PG) courses, will be deployed across various public healthcare institutions in the state to help address critical gaps in healthcare services.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the healthcare system in Punjab is grappling with a severe shortage of doctors, as only 11 out of the 17 doctors recently allotted to the district have joined their duties so far. This gap has resulted in unmet medical needs for the local population.

Also Read: Doctor Shortage Hits Healthcare Services in Punjab

The notification issued by the health department specifies that the specialists include 36 physicians, 35 surgeons, 25 gynaecologists, 24 anaesthesiologists, 19 orthopedists, 16 otolaryngologists (ENT specialists), and eight paediatricians. These doctors are drawn from various government medical colleges in the state, including those in Patiala and Amritsar, as well as the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot.

According to the Hindustan Times, doctors welcomed the decision to address the shortage of doctors. “Such a move is the need of the hour amid a shortage of specialist doctors and tepid responses to the recent walk-in interviews. The services of these young specialist doctors will eventually benefit the poor and needy,” the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) mentioned in a statement.

Also Read: Punjab doctors end strike after State Government's assurance

The association also highlighted that this current move coupled with another round of walk-in interviews for specialist doctors should potentially address the issue of specialist doctors shortage, thereby ensuring seamless specialist services across the state.

aimed at further tackling the shortage of medical professionals.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, PCMSA state president Dr Akhil Sareen said, “The bond has always been there but it was not enforced. After Covid when the shortage of doctors was felt hard, the department started posting postgraduates from government medical colleges in medical colleges itself. This is for the first time they have been posted to peripheral facilities, like the district hospitals and community health centers.”