Doctors' body flags specialist shortage, recruitment delays in Punjab
Chandigarh: The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has expressed serious concerns over the current system of empanelling specialist doctors and the prolonged delay in recruiting regular PCMS specialists.
The association stated that the shortage of specialist doctors at civil hospitals has adversely affected the delivery of healthcare services. As a result, authorities have been forced to rely on empanelled private practitioners as well as temporary deputation arrangements to ensure essential departments function.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, senior medical officer Dr Akhil Sareen and President of PCMS stated, “We have two medical specialists on deputation and two on empanelment basis to cater to the patients. This is not enough, right now the Government is struggling to keep doctors in public health jobs and also struggling to get new doctors to join. The Government is grappling with the issue of high attrition and low entry rates into the public health cadre. It is paramount that the issues and apprehensions of 2020 onward batches, who will be effectively serving as the backbone of the public health cadre in the coming years, are positively resolved, without any delay whatsoever.”
The association pointed out that ambiguity and delay in Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACP) pay fixation should be addressed. Moreover, MACP for 2020 onwards batches need to be announced by 30/06/2026 for issuance of notification in this regard. The association has also raised other issues like rationalisation of PG allowance (Pre-2016), reinstatement of NPA during PG, implementation of Phase-2 of security framework, sanctioning of leaves/NOCs/Probation/MACP cases via i-hrms portal, pay protection and extension of MACP benefits to RMOs merged/selected into PCMS, reversion of entry level pay to 56,100/- and addressing the discrepancies in the allowances of 2020 onwards batches and CME hours issue.
“At a time when the Government is grappling with the issue of high attrition and low entry rates into the public health cadre, it is paramount that the issues and apprehensions of 2020 onward batches, who will be effectively serving as the backbone of the public health cadre in the coming years, are positively resolved, without any delay whatsoever,” Dr Akhil Sareen stated.
