With 131 faculty, 1,874 non-teaching posts lying vacant, staff shortage at PGI takes centrestage

Also, one of the issues flagged several times is that of the lack of the requisite number of hospital attendants, with out of the 519 sanctioned posts, just 191 are filled, and 328 are vacant, causing attendants of patients inconvenience, with many having to manage their patients on wheelchairs, stretchers and even help with basic work in the wards, causing overcrowding in hospital areas. On average, two to three relatives accompany patients to manage their treatment, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court having recently sought a status report from the PGIMER.

Last month, as part of a peaceful protest, the PGI Nurses Welfare Association (PGINWA), highlighted serious concerns regarding delays in promotions, staffing shortages, non-nursing duties, and overall stagnation in cadre restructuring. The last review of the nursing cadre at the institute happened in 2015. At that time, a proposal was made for 1,500 new nursing posts, keeping in mind the growing shortage of staff.

This proposal was sent to the Union Health Ministry in 2016 but has been pending for years now. Meanwhile, the PGIMER has expanded, with two major centres — Mother and Child Care and Neurosciences Centre — being added, along with several new services and departments. Patient numbers have increased significantly, but the staff strength remains the same.

According to the norms, the PGIMER currently needs over 3,000 nursing staff. Nurses are overburdened, often caring for three to four times the ideal number of patients. In the Emergency Ward alone, about 350 patients are present at any time, but only seven to eight nurses are on duty. This means one nurse is handling nearly 50 patients at once.

Adding to the issue, only patients with hospital beds are officially counted, while many on stretchers or in corridors also receive full nursing care but are not included in the workload data. Staff is hopeful that the pending posts will be filled soon to reduce the pressure.

Manjeek Kaur, president of the PGI Nursing Association, said the institute has been raising the demand for new nursing posts since 2022, but the focus remains largely on vacant sanctioned posts instead of fresh appointments based on the current workload.

“Departments like ICUs, gynaecology, post-labour and medical-surgical wards, and adult urology are severely understaffed. Nurses are handling three to four times the recommended patient load, which puts both patients and staff at risk,” she said.

In the Engineering and Planning Department of the institute, over 340 posts have been lying vacant for a long time. Many vacancies belong to technical fields such as electrical technicians, mechanical workers, biomedical technicians, sweepers, and gardeners, crucial for maintaining hospital infrastructure. In the revenue cadre, more than 40 posts remain unfilled, including those of junior engineers, assistant engineers, gardeners, draftsmen, accounts officers, clerks, and office attendants. The situation highlights a growing administrative concern: posts are being created but not filled, resulting in increased workload and direct impact on services.

Also, the contract of the parking agency at the PGIMER expired on July 31, and since no agency submitted a bid for a new tender, the responsibility has been delegated to the institute’s security guards. The security department has issued a new duty roster for public and staff parking. More than 12,000 patients and their attendants visit the institute daily, especially in OPDs and other areas, where ensuring safety and security is the top priority, and handling both duties will be a challenge.

The institute had re-advertised 121 vacant assistant professor positions, and interviews for several positions were held recently, with the recruitment process on hold since 2021. And once appointed, the new faculty will be a relief for several departments.

Vivek Lal, Director, PGI, has also announced manpower approvals for the new Neurosciences Centre and Satellite Centre, Sangrur, stressing that with growing patient numbers, the PGIMER’s responsibility — not its burden — has increased.