GBS outbreak highlights healthcare disparities in Pune
The currently approved posts at the PMC Health Department are in consideration of the city’s population in 2014. Over the years Pune’s population has surged, increasing the demand for healthcare services
The Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) outbreak has exposed the disparity between private and public healthcare facilities in the city. While private hospitals across the city offer advanced healthcare treatment facilities, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)-run hospitals continue to struggle due to a lack of expert doctors, medical staff, and crucial infrastructure, including intensive care units (ICUs).
The currently approved posts at the PMC Health Department are in consideration of the city’s population in 2014. Over the years Pune’s population has surged, increasing the demand for healthcare services.
Private healthcare facilities in the city have been at par with the advanced healthcare services and serve a large number of patients. However, the PMC has not kept pace with the rising population, leading to an alarming staff shortage and services.
According to official data, out of 1,790 sanctioned positions in the PMC Health Department, only 1,168 have been filled, leaving 662 positions vacant—an alarming 37% shortage.
Most of the vacant posts are for specialised doctors like paediatricians, radiologists, gynaecologists, pediatric surgeons, ICU physicians and intensivists amongst others. This acute shortage of staff makes PMC inefficient in providing advanced healthcare treatment facilities.
Recognising the urgent need for improvement, the PMC Health Chief, Dr Nina Borade, has written to the Additional Municipal Commissioner, recommending an increase of 394 sanctioned posts to address the growing demands of the city’s healthcare facilities. Besides, there are plans underway to develop three ICU facilities in civic hospitals, a critical step toward enhancing emergency medical services, said the officials.
Dr Borade, said, “The shortage of specialised doctors and medical staff is a major challenge to provide quality healthcare facilities to the citizens. With an increasing population and rising cases of severe illnesses, increasing the number of staff and filling vacant posts is the priority. Also, we have requested to approve additional posts for the health care department staff, that would be on par with the city’s current population,” she said.
The health chief further informed that the civic body doesn’t have any ICU facilities of its own. “We are looking ahead to setting up at least three to four ICU facilities in our hospitals. However, it depends on the availability of the specialised doctors and staff,” Dr Borade added.
Prithviraj BP, additional municipal commissioner, PMC said, “There have been no changes in the approved posts after the year 2014. We are doing revisions of posts in all departments of PMC, as the population in the city has increased. The same proposals will be sent to the state government for approval. We will also investigate how the vacant posts in the health department can be filled as a priority. Besides, few walk-in interviews of doctors are scheduled for the vacant posts.”
