Punjab directs new medical officers to join duty by March 10

Chandigarh: Efforts to strengthen the public healthcare system in Punjab are facing ongoing challenges, as several newly appointed government medical officers have yet to report for duty, weeks after receiving their appointment letters.

The state health department had initiated a phased recruitment drive to appoint 1,000 Medical Officers (General) to address the shortage of doctors in government hospitals. As part of this process, 170 candidates selected through Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Faridkot were issued appointment letters on January 29 and were expected to join their respective postings immediately as per the terms of appointment.

However, according to a report by TOI, several of these selected doctors have not yet reported to their assigned stations. After assessing the situation, the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare has issued a public notice directing all candidates to join duty by March 10. The notice also clarifies that any candidate who fails to report by the deadline will be considered to have declined the offer, and the appointment will automatically stand cancelled without any further notice.

Health department officials said that they are currently compiling the list of candidates who have not joined, and the exact number will become clear after the March 10 deadline passes. The issue is not new for the state. Earlier, in the same recruitment process, appointment letters had been issued to 322 candidates on August 19, and another 381 candidates on September 4, 2025, but a significant number of selected doctors did not join service.

A similar situation was seen in 2024 when the state government advertised 400 posts of Medical Officer (General) after a four-year gap. Eventually, only 284 doctors joined, leaving several positions vacant. The state had also attempted to recruit 634 specialist doctors in 2022, but the number of applicants fell well short of expectations.

Doctors and medical associations have often pointed to relatively lower pay and demanding workloads as key reasons behind the limited interest in government service. At present, the entry-level salary for a medical officer in Punjab is Rs 53,100, which is about 21% lower than the central government’s starting pay of Rs 67,100 and also lower than the Rs 56,100 offered in neighbouring Haryana.

In addition to regular clinical duties, government doctors are frequently assigned multiple responsibilities such as emergency services, postmortem examinations, medico-legal cases, and administrative or VIP-related duties, which add to the workload.

The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association has repeatedly urged the state government to revise the salary structure to make it comparable with neighbouring states and central government pay scales. The association has also called for better workplace safety, adequate support staff, and improved infrastructure in government hospitals to enable doctors to provide effective healthcare services. It has further recommended introducing financial incentives linked to performance targets to help attract and retain doctors in public service.

Meanwhile, the shortage of doctors in government hospitals has also come under judicial scrutiny. The Punjab and Haryana High Court is currently hearing a public interest litigation filed by Bhisham Kinger of Malerkotla. During previous hearings, the court had asked the state government to submit updates regarding recruitment progress and timelines for filling vacant medical posts.