Govt’s reply to health staff shortage: 'Case under process'
Questions of BJP MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha have exposed the acute staff shortage in government health facilities across the state.
In response to Sonepat BJP MLA Nikhil Madan, the government admitted that the Sonepat Civil Hospital lacked an MRI facility. As for the Cath lab, tenders were floated, but no bids were received. Additionally, there is no Civil Surgeon, and the charge is currently being handled by the Panipat Civil Surgeon.
Responding to Yamunanagar BJP MLA Ghanshyam Dass, Health Minister Arti Singh Rao admitted to a 40% staff shortage at the Yamunanagar Civil Hospital, with 158 of 397 positions vacant. Of the sanctioned 55 Medical Officer positions, 21 are unfilled, while 15 of 90 nursing positions are also vacant. Among Class IV employees, 50% posts are unoccupied.
In reply to Nilokheri BJP MLA Bhagwan Dass’ question, the government said several projects, including a 100-bed hospital at Nilokheri (sanctioned Rs 17.84 crore in 2019), Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Gullanpur (sanctioned Rs 3.60 crore in 2017), Sagga PHC (sanctioned Rs 3.92 crore in 2018), and Samana Bahu PHC (sanctioned Rs 3.60 crore in 2019) are still awaiting work allotment.
The government said regarding doctors, appointment letters for 561 Medical Officers were issued on March 8. However, their posting stations had yet to be assigned.
Overall, the condition of health facilities is grim. The government’s standard response is either that the matter is "under process" or that a requisition has been sent for recruitment.
The Health Minister’s response to Congress Mullana MLA Pooja’s question revealed the overall picture. There is a 24% staff shortage in the department, with 6,064 vacancies of 25,024 sanctioned posts. Among Civil Surgeon or equivalent positions, nine of 51 are unfilled. The shortage among Senior Medical Officers stands at 34%, with 219 of 644 posts vacant. Similarly, 19.6% Medical Officer positions remain unoccupied, with 777 of 3,960 posts vacant. Among Senior Dental Surgeons, 20 of 56 sanctioned positions are unfilled (nearly 36%), while the shortage among Dental Surgeons is relatively lower, with 58 of 717 posts vacant.
"However, the actual shortage should be assessed based on WHO norms. There should be one doctor per 1,000 people, which means we need 10,000 doctors in the public sector," said Dr Rajesh Khyalia, president, Haryana Civil Medical Services Association.
On the paramedical staff front, the shortage is severe. Among dental assistants, nearly 67% positions are vacant. There is also a 33% shortage of lab technicians (LTs), with 438 vacancies. The situation is worse for Senior LTs, where 33 of 46 posts are vacant.
Similarly, 84 ophthalmic assistant positions remain unfilled, while 105 radiographer posts are vacant. The government claims that requisitions have been sent for recruitment.
The shortage is most severe among ECG technicians, where 108 of 136 positions remain unfilled, reflecting a nearly 80% vacancy rate. Only 28 posts have been filled, and the government says applications are being invited.
There is no immediate solution for the shortage of Pharmacy Officers. A total of 385 positions remain vacant of 1,085. Here, too, the recruitment process is "under process".
The National Health Policy of 2017 called for states to increase health spending to over 8% of their budgets by 2020. However, as per the 2025-26 budget estimates, Haryana’s expenditure on health and family welfare is projected to be only 4.72%.
A recent CAG report reveals that of the Rs 35,875.18 crore spent on health in Haryana between 2016 and 2023, 87.5% was revenue expenditure, while only 12.5% was capital expenditure.
“Haryana’s health expenditure is nowhere near the 8% of budget estimates or 2.5% of GSDP mandated by the National Health Policy. The state must enhance capital expenditure on health,” says Prof Aswini Kumar Nanda, a health economist.
