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Ludhiana: 13 specialist docs appointed to govt hospitals in dist
Of the 13, six are physicians, who will join at the Ludhiana civil hospital (1), Raikot sub-divisional hospital (SDH) (1), Samrala SDH (1), Sudhar community health centre (CHC) (1), and Jagroan Community Health Centre (CHC) (2); this will ease the load on two physicians available in the district against 23 posts
As many as 13 out of the 255 specialist doctors posted on Sunday across the state will join government health facilities in the district, officials said.
All 255 appointees are postgraduates from government medical colleges and had signed a bond to serve in the state health service.
Of the 13, six are physicians, who will join at the Ludhiana civil hospital (1), Raikot sub-divisional hospital (SDH) (1), Samrala SDH (1), Sudhar community health centre (CHC) (1), and Jagroan Community Health Centre (CHC) (2). This will ease the load on two physicians available in the district against 23 posts.
The physician at the local civil hospital, Dr Amanpreet, was recently promoted to district family planning officer (DFPO), leaving the hospital without a medicine specialist.
Among the specialists are three surgeons, one each at Khanna SDH and CHCs in Malaud and Dahlon.
The SDHs in Raikot and Samrala will get an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. Khanna SDH Khanna will get a radiologist, and an ophthalmologist has been appointed at Raikot SDH.
The district has been reeling under a severe shortage of doctors, with more than 40% of the posts lying vacant.
Last year, the government sent 17 doctors to the district from a batch of 400. However, only 11 of them joined.
“In the backdrop of specialist doctors’ shortage and tepid responses to walk in interviews the recent past, such moves are the need of the hour as the services provided by these young specialists will eventually benefit the poor and the needy,” Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) said in a press release.
“This move, coupled with another round of walk-in interviews for specialists, should address the shortage, ensuring seamless specialist services across the state,” the statement added.
PCMSA state president Dr Akhil Sareen said, “The bond has always been there, but it was not generally enforced. After the Covid pandemic, when the shortage of doctors was felt hard, the department started posting postgraduates from government medical colleges in those very colleges. This is the first time they have been posted to peripheral facilities, where the shortage is felt the strongest.”
