700 Medical Officers to be Recruited in Haryana Soon

Sources indicate that around 200 of these doctors are specialists, aiming to strengthen outpatient (OPD) and emergency services across the state. Officials have confirmed that 777 medical officers will receive their appointment letters after the upcoming municipal elections in Haryana, reports the Times of India.

Haryana, with a population of 2.8 crore, has been grappling with a 23% vacancy rate in medical staff. The state currently has only 3,305 medical and senior medical officers, falling short of the World Health Organization's recommended doctor-patient ratio of 100 doctors per lakh population. The addition of these new medical officers is expected to improve healthcare accessibility and service efficiency.

According to the Daily, the recruitment process was initiated with a written examination held in Rohtak in December 2024. Following this, Director General of Health Services (Haryana) Manish Bansal announced the results on Sunday via the health department's official website. Shortlisted candidates are required to verify their original documents and biometrics at the Panchkula office on January 17. Dr Virender Yadav, Director, Health Services (Haryana) and member of the high power selection committee for medical officers stated, "The new medical officers will receive their appointments after the municipal elections in Haryana. The written test was conducted for 777 in all categories and we were able to successfully find candidates in all categories."

Despite the new appointments, staff shortages continue to impact patient care across the state’s 59 civil hospitals, 119 community health centres, and 486 primary health centres. Health department data reveals significant gaps in key medical and technical positions: 132 of 707 sanctioned dental surgeon posts remain unfilled, along with 255 of 350 radiographer posts, 26 of 35 dietician posts, and 353 of 1,085 drug control officer posts. In total, an estimated 6,500 of the 23,607 sanctioned positions in the health department are currently vacant.

Officials have attributed the growing vacancies to a reluctance among qualified medical professionals to join government hospitals, despite the otherwise high demand for state jobs. In 2022, the health department had filled 2,389 positions, including 855 appointment letters for doctors. However, only 690 doctors ultimately joined the service. The fresh batch of medical officers is expected to relieve pressure on the overstretched healthcare system, ensuring better medical coverage for residents across Haryana.