PGIMS-Rohtak battles acute doc shortage as 41% posts lie vacant

Haryana’s only Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak is grappling with a severe shortage of doctors, putting immense pressure on its healthcare services. The institute, which handles one of the largest patient loads in the state, is struggling to function smoothly as over 41per cent of regular doctor posts remain vacant. Of the 1,018 sanctioned Group-A posts, 424 are unfilled, highlighting a critical staffing gap.

“Over 12,000 patients visit the PGIMS each day from across Haryana and neighbouring states. Of these, nearly 8,000 come for OPD services, while the rest seek care at the trauma centre, medical emergency, and labour room. With limited staff, ensuring uninterrupted care has become a major challenge, particularly in critical and high-dependency units. In recent years, patient numbers have risen sharply, yet the sanctioned posts for doctors remain unchanged,” said a senior PGIMS officer.

He said although several super-specialties have been introduced during this period, the institute continues to face a severe shortage of doctors. Many non-doctor posts are also vacant, which is seriously affecting administrative work. Employees have been hired through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN), but most of them are appointed to lower-level positions, he added.

As per information, Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, which oversees the PGIMS and its constituent colleges, Group-A, which includes faculty from Assistant to Professor, has 1,018 sanctioned posts, out of which only 594 are filled.

Nearly 50 per cent of the posts of Associate Professor and Professors in the department of medicine are lying vacant. There are 25 posts sanctioned there but only 13 are filled while 12 remain vacant. Similar is the condition at the surgery department where 26 positions in both categories have been sanctioned but only 12 are filled, leaving 14 vacancies.

The department of orthopaedics has 14 sanctioned posts of Associate Professor and Professor, with 10 filled and four vacant while paediatrics has 10 sanctioned posts, of which seven are filled and three are vacant. Even the obstetrics & gynaecology department, one of the busiest in the hospital, has 26 sanctioned posts, with 21 filled while five are lying vacant.

Besides these positions, a considerable number of posts of Assistant professors are also lying vacant in all these five key departments. A total 291 sanctioned teaching posts for Assistant Professors alone, only 167 are filled, leaving 124 vacancies — a shortage of 42.6 per cent in this crucial teaching cadre.

Similarly, out of the total 61 posts of Senior Professor, 18 are lying vacant while only 43 are filled. The shortage is particularly evident in key departments with three posts vacant in medicine, two in orthopaedics, and one each in surgery, paediatrics, and obstetrics & gynaecology, highlighting a serious staffing gap.

“With several senior doctors already retired and many others approaching retirement soon, the shortage of doctors is likely to worsen further in the coming days. With many posts vacant, each doctor handles an excessive number of patients, leading to long waiting hours and rushed consultations. The patients often face postponed procedures and repeated visits for basic services. Overall, the shortage directly affects timely, safe, and quality care, causing frustration and hardship for the patients and their families,” said a senior doctor.

He said the continued shortage of doctors and other staff could have serious consequences for medical education. The National Medical Commission (NMC) may reduce the annual intake of MBBS and MD/MS seats if the faculty requirements remain unmet — a potential setback for thousands of aspiring medical students in the state.

“The manpower crunch is making it difficult to run various postgraduate courses, as teaching hospitals require adequate specialist availability to maintain academic and clinical standards. However, the current workforce, is overburdened, often compelled to manage workloads far beyond normal limits,” pointed out another faculty member.

The pressure is taking a toll on the health and efficiency of existing staff members. With the number of patients rising and manpower stagnant, the doctors say delivering quality care under such conditions is becoming increasingly difficult. Hospital services, which cannot be denied to the daily influx of patients, continue to function only due to the extra burden carried by the existing staff.

“Immediate action is needed to fill the vacant posts, as any further delay can disrupt both crucial hospital services and academic activities. Since the PGIMS is Haryana’s premier referral institute, addressing the staffing crisis must be treated as a top priority to safeguard the stability of healthcare delivery and medical education in the state,” a PGIMS official said.

Dr HK Aggarwal, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, acknowledged the shortage of doctors and other staff, stating that the university had already requested the state government to fill the vacant faculty positions.