PGIMER refutes report of 60% nursing vacancies

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) today informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that 91.3 per cent of its sanctioned nursing posts were occupied. It, at the same time, agreed to significant shortfalls in hospital attendant posts.

Filing status report in a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) initiated on a report dated June 17 referring to patient distress due to alleged staff shortage, PGIMER stated that of the 2,597 sanctioned nursing posts, 2,373 were filled. Only 224 posts remain vacant, including 194 Senior Nursing Officer posts following a stay order by the Central Administrative Tribunal

“This clearly reflects that the news-item claiming more than 60 per cent vacant posts in nursing cadre is wrong,” PGIMER submitted in its affidavit, adding,“…91.3% posts of the total sanctioned posts are filled up in the nursing cadre.”

Referring to an acute shortfall in hospital attendants, is said only 191 of the 519 sanctioned posts were filled, leaving 328 vacant.

PGIMER explained that following a 2016 directive from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare barring regular recruitment for posts other than LDCs and stenographers due to outsourcing policies, 121 of these vacant posts were manned on a temporary “time-gap” basis by housekeeping workers.

The affidavit further noted that apart from these time-gap arrangements, 1,093 outsourced housekeeping staff, including 124 relievers, were currently deployed at the institute.

“In addition to this, PGIMER has outsourced housekeeping services. The service provider has deployed 1,093 workers including 124 relievers for the upkeep of housekeeping services in the Institute,” the affidavit read.

The institute further stated that vacancies in posts such as Assistant Nursing Superintendent, Deputy Nursing Superintendent, Nursing Officer, and Public Health Nursing Officer were minimal—only about 8.5 per cent —and were mostly due to lack of eligible candidates for promotion, recent resignations or retirements.

The High Court had directed PGIMER on June 19 to file the status report after referring to the plight of patients and their attendants on account of substantial shortage of hospital’s attendants and nursing staff.