Despite crunch, medical specialists doing administrative work in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, May 23

Even as the Punjab Health Minister has ordered that all senior government doctors must perform clinical duty for at least three hours a day, specialists posted at the department headquarters in Chandigarh are mostly engaged in clerical work.

Setting it right: Punjab minister

We are aware of the matter…process to involve these doctors in clinical work is underway. Dr Vijay Singla, Health Minister

The state is reeling under severe shortage of doctors with over 800 posts lying vacant. There are around 50 senior doctors, including specialists and dentists, posted at the Directorate of Health, Punjab State Aids Control Society and Punjab Health Systems Corporation in Chandigarh.

Most of these doctors are gynaecologist, biochemist, skin specialist, chest and TB specialist, pathologist and forensic expert. Some of them are not even working against sanctioned posts, while some others are attached with senior bureaucrats and politicians.

Health Minister Dr Vijay Singla said the department was aware of the matter and the process to involve these doctors in clinical work was already underway.

Only last week, the Health Department had told senior government doctors to examine patients for at least three hours every day from 8 am to 11 am.

At least 33 doctors in the Directorate of Health are engaged in administrative work. Similar is the case with 15 doctors posted with Punjab Health Systems Corporation.

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