New data reveals 500 fewer doctors

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, June 12

The actual number of doctors working in the Health Department is just 3,600. However, the successive governments have been claiming over the past several years that the number was 4,100.

Statistics collected

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Each Punjab Civil Medical Services doctor was asked to upload his/her professional information, including the number of OPD and indoor patients examined every day, on Integrated Human Resource Information System.

The fact came to the fore during an exercise under which each Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) doctor was asked to upload his/her professional information, including the number of OPD and indoor patients examined every day, on the government’s Integrated Human Resource Information System. The data uploading exercise concluded on May 31. Following that, the data analysis was done early this week.

The aim of the data exercise was to understand the actual strength and weakness of human resources in the department. While analysing the information at state headquarters, it was found that no data was received from over 500 doctors. These doctors were either absent from duty or they had left the department without informing the higher authorities or many of them have gone for their postgraduate studies as in-service doctors.

When contacted, Ajoy Sharma, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, confirmed that there was a gap in the data. “But aim of the exercise was to make the actual assessment of number of doctors and allocate them work rationally,” he said.

Despite the shortage, there is a large army of doctors which has been pushed into non-clinical work. A look at state headquarters reveal that around 50 doctors, including specialists and dentists, have been posted in Chandigarh. They are doing non-clinical work.