PGI-Chandigarh fills 1,790 posts in five years, 1,700 still vacant, Lok Sabha told

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, December 17

Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here has filled only 1,790 vacancies over the period of five years, reveals data tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday. These also include the vacancies filled at the PGI Satellite Centre in Sangrur.

The institute has around 7,300 sanctioned posts, including those of teaching and non-teaching doctor, nurse, paramedic, lab technician and security. However, the institute is unable to clear the backlog of over 1,700 vacancies in the recent years. This has been repeatedly pointed out by the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Rajya Sabha for the past two years.

A number of vacancies of different categories of promotional posts could not be filled due to cases pending in the court.

The hospital provides treatment to an average of 9,000 patients every day, including 8,000 in the out patient departments (OPDs) and 300 in the Emergency wing. As many as 155, out of 2,572 nursing positions, remain vacant at the PGI. The situation is no better when it comes to teaching staff, with 36 posts of professor and 91 of assistant professor remaining vacant against the sanctioned strength of 70 and 652, respectively.

Under the Group A medical category, out of the sanctioned strength of 743, 139 posts are lying vacant, while in Group A non-medical category, 112 posts, out of the sanctioned strength of 248, are lying vacant. Inadequate staff in the departments of anaesthesia, endocrinology, gastroenterology and gynaecology have hindered patient care. These departments have requested for the creation of posts of assistant professor to manage the rush. A total of 32 departments had requested for the creation of 182 posts of Assistant Professor. The agenda was also tabled before the Standing Academic Committee.

To meet the shortfall, many departments have requested for more senior residents and also proposed an increase in the number of academic seats.

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