Punjab bifurcates 1,390 Medical Officer posts to tackle doctor crunch

Chandigarh: In a significant move to address the acute shortage of doctors in government hospitals, the Punjab government has approved the craetion of 1,390 new posts for medical officers (General) and will fill the shortage gradually. 

The government will first recruit 400 medical officers, a position that has been vacant for the past four years, before moving on to hire for the 1,390 newly approved posts. These new posts will be distributed among various government hospitals in the state, and the phased recruitment process will begin soon. 

As per the TOI news report, the government is in the process of recruiting 400 medical officers after a four-year hiatus in hiring. Between 2009 and 2020, nine rounds of medical officer recruitment were conducted, but the subsequent pause worsened the staffing crisis in state-run hospitals. Once the recruitment of 400 doctors is completed, the government will initiate the phased hiring process for the newly created posts.

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Welcoming the move, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) president Dr Akhil Sarin told TOI, "Filling these newly created posts in a phased manner over the next year will significantly enhance healthcare delivery across the state, as it remains a key priority for the government. The recent recruitment of 400 medical officers, combined with the creation of 1,390 new posts, is a much-needed step. With Punjab's healthcare system under immense strain, the success of these recruitment drives will be crucial in ensuring better access to medical care for people across the state."

He further highlighted the reinstatement of Assured Career Progression (ACP) for medical officers, a reformed postgraduate policy, and renewed efforts to combat the drug menace as commendable measures. "These steps will not only strengthen the public health cadre but also contribute to the overall well-being of Punjab's citizens," he added.

Punjab's healthcare system is grappling with a severe manpower crisis, with only about 45% of district hospitals meeting the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms for the required number of doctors. The state’s doctor-to-population ratio currently stands at 1.02 per 1,000 people, which is far below the national average of 1:811. To improve the quality of service, the government has set ambitious targets to increase this ratio to 2 by 2030 and 4 by 2047. To do so, the government needs to fill the vacancies at government hospitals by devising new recruitment and promotion policies.

Therefore, the approval of newly created medical officer posts will help bridge the healthcare gap and ensure a more balanced distribution of doctors, particularly in underserved regions of the state.

The 500-bedded civil hospital in Jalandhar, currently struggling with just 24 medical officers, will now have 32 more, taking its total to 56. Similarly, 30 new posts have been sanctioned for the 160-bed civil hospital in Barnala. Civil hospitals in Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Moga, Ropar, and Sangrur will each receive 29 additional posts, while Tarn Taran's civil hospital will get 28. Meanwhile, 24 new posts have been allocated to civil hospitals in Amritsar, Bathinda, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, and Mohali. 

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