Doctor shortage in Punjab: MBBS, MD graduates to be recruited at govt hospitals

Chandigarh: Referring to the shortage of specialist doctors in the State, the Health, Medical Education and Research minister Dr Balbir Singh clarified before the State Assembly that after completing the Post Graduate medical courses, the newly graduated specialist doctors will provide their services in the government hospitals.

Apart from this, the Health Minister of the State also pointed out how the previous government failed to ensure that PG medical graduates from government medical colleges provided their services to the government-run hospitals for a few years and how the bond penalty amount was also not recovered from them.

Sharing the data regarding the medical students who have graduated MD and MBBS from 2020, the Health Minister further informed that from 2020 till the present time, altogether 701 MD graduates have provided their service in the government hospitals.

It was further informed by the State Health Minister that Rs 6,47,17140 has been recovered from 57 doctors for not providing service to the government.

These announcements have come from the Health Minister when several hospitals in the State are suffering from dearth of specialist doctors. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that out of 119 sanctioned posts in Phagwara Civil Hospitals, 50 posts were laying vacant. In case of the posts of doctors, 14 posts out of 36 sanctioned posts were vacant.

Nakodar Civil Hospital in Punjab was also facing a shortage of specialist doctors as posts of surgeon, ENT specialists, radiologists, anaesthetist, pathologist, and two posts of medical officer are lying vacant in the hospital.

Also Read: Punjab: 50 posts lying vacant at Phagwara Civil hospital, doctor raises concern with CM Bhagwant Mann

As per the latest media report by Amar Ujala, during the uestion hour in the House during the budget session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly on Monday, the Health Minister admitted that there is a shortage of specialist doctors in various hospitals of the State and also mentioned that the government is preparing the data of the hospitals of all the districts. He further assured that soon doctors will be recruited for all the government hospitals according to their requirements.

The Health Minister further informed the Assembly that every year 380 students complete their post-graduation in medical education. Despite signing the bond at the time of admission, these PG medical graduates do not fulfill the condition of the bond and after getting their degree, they turn to private hospitals. 

Referring to this, the AAP MLA from Ropar Dinesh Chadha pointed out how in the last 10 years the government authorities failed ensuring that the PG medical graduates from the government medical colleges of the State provided their services to the government-run hospitals for a few years. He further opined that the State should take action against such government officers with whose assistance these doctors shift to private hospitals on fat pay packages.

Referring to the fact that the PG medical graduates need to serve the government for two years or pay Rs 15 lakh, the Health Minister was quoted saying by Indian Express, “The previous governments failed to ensure that these doctors did their service in government hospitals in the state and they failed to realise the amount due from them too. This is criminal negligence. We have recovered Rs 6.47 crore from 57 doctors who did not serve the government and we will recover more from others too.”

The Times of India adds that the Minister assured that the AAP government will ensure that there is no dearth of specialist doctors in the state. He also assured that after completing their PG medical courses, these specialist doctors will provide their services in the government hospitals to deal with the shortage of doctors. He further mentioned how in the last 40 years, not even a single medical college had come up in the state and on the contrary how the state government was coming up with four medical colleges.

Meanwhile, the Congress MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warding referred to the absence of any doctor in the government hospital in Gidderbaha and pointed out that the hospital has seven sanctioned posts of doctors. Taking note of this, the Health Minister assured that he would prove the matter and soon doctors will be appointed at the hospital.

Also Read: Punjab: Nakodar Civil Hospital struggles with shortage of specialist doctors