Punjab Health Dept admits critical vacancies, recruitment drive lags behind urgent needs

In the petition, argued by Kanwar Pahul Singh, the NGO criticises the government for failing to adequately staff the CHC, resulting in emergency services being halted for several years, substandard patient care, and residents being compelled to seek treatment in distant Amritsar or Tarn Taran. It demands immediate recruitment, infrastructure upgrades, and facility installations to restore basic access to healthcare.

Dr Padha’s filing lays bare the grim vacancy figures in a tabulated breakdown: Of five sanctioned general medical officer posts, only two are filled, leaving three unfilled. All five specialist positions, one each in medicine, surgery, gynaecology, paediatrics, and anaesthesia, stand vacant.

This totals eight empty slots out of 10, underscoring a dire understaffing that the affidavit attributes to a broader statewide crunch but admits is acutely felt in the Tarn Taran district.

“The vacant posts of medical officer (general) will be filled up shortly as the recruitment process of 1,000 medical officers is going on,” the document states, acknowledging the process as ongoing and incomplete.

It details a recruitment initiated earlier in 2025, with provisional merit lists from Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (June 24 to July 4), final results sent to the government on July 18, and appointment letters issued to 322 candidates on August 29, followed by postings on September 1.

An additional 381 offers were extended on September 4, with temporary deployments prioritising 18 flood-affected districts on May 9. Yet, for specialists, the affidavit reveals recruitment for 160 posts will only “be initiated by the government shortly after necessary approvals from the competent authority,” signalling further delays.

District-wide, the filing highlights acute shortages across Punjab, with restructuring and rationalisation of sanctioned posts underway to redistribute the workforce.

However, it offers no firm timeline for Sur Singh Wala’s gaps, merely noting that infrastructure concerns such as new OPD complexes, residential quarters, and emergency block repairs are “under preview” by the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), which will file a separate reply.

The NGO’s counsel, Kanwar Pahul Singh, has urged the court to issue a writ of mandamus for “immediate and steadfast steps” to avert a healthcare collapse in underserved rural areas.