Haryana Govt Hospitals grapples with shortage of staff, Patient services hit

Panipat: The state of Haryana is currently grappling with a severe shortage of doctors and paramedics in several district hospitals, significantly impacting the delivery of healthcare services across the state. This gap in medical staffing is especially concerning given the state government's promises to improve healthcare infrastructure and services. 

At the district headquarters the 200-bed Bhimsen Sachar Civil Hospital, which serves a population of 14 lakh at the district headquarters, is currently dealing with a shortage of medical professionals. Although the hospital was upgraded to a 200-bed facility in 2019 by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, it currently has only 24 doctors, which is far below the sanctioned strength of 55. On average, the hospital handles 1,500 to 2,000 patients daily, performs 25 to 30 deliveries, and admits 70 to 80 patients every day, putting immense pressure on the existing medical staff. 

As per the recent media report by Tribune India, the post of Principal Medical Officer (PMO) has been lying vacant for the past many months. A total of 28 doctors are posted in the hospital, including 24 medical officers, two senior medical officers (SMOs) and two deputy medical superintendents (DMS). Three dental surgeons are working at the hospital.

The situation is similarly alarming at the Samalkha 50-bed Civil Hospital, which is also facing an acute shortage of doctors. In November 2023, former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the hospital would be upgraded to accommodate 100 beds. Despite having a sanctioned strength of 11 doctors, the hospital is currently staffed with only five. The lack of specialists further complicates the provision of comprehensive care to the population in this area.

According to data from the district Health Department, several critical positions remain vacant across various health facilities. The district is facing a shortage of six deputy civil surgeons, with only three posted against the sanctioned strength of nine. Additionally, nine Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) are posted, while the sanctioned strength is 16. 97 medical officers are working, though the sanctioned strength is 147. The district also has a shortage of 35 lab technicians, with only 11 working against the sanctioned strength of 46. Similarly, 19 pharmacists are working, while the sanctioned strength is 41, and 10 radiographers are working against 15 sanctioned posts. Furthermore, there is no dental assistant-cum-mechanic in the district.

The state government had also announced plans to provide better health facilities with advanced medical services including MRI, CATH lab, CT scan, hemodialysis, and blood bank to patients. The CT scan and hemodialysis facilities are currently being run under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

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The blood bank, which was announced five years ago, only became operational in May 2023, highlighting the government's failure to act swiftly in addressing healthcare needs. Dr Jayant Ahuja, the Civil Surgeon, stated that the government has regularly requested more doctors and that the recruitment process for 766 doctors is underway at the government level.