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Punjab homeopathy department grapples with staff crunch, 50% of docs posts vacant
According to data, there are 89 posts of homeopathic medical officers (HMOs) in the state of which 44 are vacant. Additionally, of the 110 posts of dispensers (pharmacists), 69 are vacant.
The Punjab homeopathy department is suffering from a severe staff crunch with around 50% of doctors and dispensers posts lying vacant.
According to data, accessed by HT, there are 89 posts of homeopathic medical officers (HMOs) in the state of which 44 are vacant. Additionally, of the 110 posts of dispensers (pharmacists), 69 are vacant.
A high-ranking official, pleading anonymity, said there has been no recruitment in the department since 2018.
“Yes, the department is facing an acute shortage of staff. We have written to the higher officials several times to recruit new doctors and pharmacists to fill the gap but haven’t got any response,” said Dr Harinder Pal Singh, director, department of homeopathy.
The problem exacerbates every year as doctors continue to retire with the state having no plans in place to recruit new doctors, he said.
A single district homeopathy officer (DHO) Dr Gurdarshan Kaur in Ludhiana is looking after 5 districts due to the staff crunch and the situation is the same in other places in Punjab. Of the 23 posts of DHOs, 17 are lying vacant.
“The patient load in our OPDs is good. Homeopathy is regarded as the second biggest medicine system by the World Health Organization (WHO), but we need enough doctors to cater to the patient demand,” Dr Singh added.
Besides doctors and pharmacists, there is an acute shortage of class IV employees as well.
A doctor posted in Ludhiana on the condition of anonymity said that he has to handle multiple things from making cards to dispersing medicines.
“I have to make the cards, dispense medicines, consult the patient and do the clerical work as there isn’t any staff to do all this work,” he lamented.
He also said that the patient load had increased post the COVID-19 pandemic. “After Covid, we have seen an increase in the patients coming to us. This has led to increased patient load but the staff hasn’t increased to cater to this patient load,” he added. There are 20 posts of clerks in Ludhiana of which six are vacant, while all six posts of computer operators are also vacant.
