17 hours ago
RTI data shows staffing gaps: 50 per cent of Class IV posts vacant, over 100 doctor positions unfilled at Sassoon Hospital
A Right to Information (RTI) query filed by The Indian Express shows that half of the 843 sanctioned Class IV posts at Sassoon General Hospital, Pune – Maharashtra's largest government-run tertiary care facility – have been vacant for several years. In addition to the non-technical staff crunch, the hospital has also had to deal with a shortfall in medical professionals. There are 118 vacant posts for doctors, as per RTI data.
Patient load
The 1,296-bed facility has an increasing patient load, and approximately 2,000 patients visit the outpatient departments daily for medical treatment. Additional workload during the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated an increase in bed capacity. However, there has been a delay in filling up corresponding staff vacancies.
Presently, there is a requirement for 190 nurses. As per RTI data, there are 1,108 permanent posts of nurses, of which 918 have been filled. There are 834 Class IV posts, of which 416 are lying vacant. Of the 301 permanent sanctioned posts of doctors, a total of 183 have been filled, while 118 are lying vacant.
Data shows that of the 18 permanent posts of X-ray technicians, a total of five are vacant, while there is a need for four more healthcare professionals to operate the computed tomography (CT) scanners. This is a long-pending issue, and over the years, the government hospital has faced numerous challenges to ensure quality patient care, improve infrastructure, and maintain effective administration.
Long queues are a routine sight at the X-ray department, where most patients are subjected to an entire day's waiting period to get an ultrasound scan. Several concerns have been flagged over the years about the hospital's sanitation and cleanliness, and the condition of wards and outpatient departments has attracted significant criticism.
As per RTI data at the B J Government Medical College, a total of 18 posts of associate professors and 27 assistant professor posts are yet to be filled.
Too little
While efforts are being taken to address the requirements of some of the short-staffed departments, as per the data, the post of professor at the biochemistry and orthopaedic department is vacant. At the anatomy department, three posts of assistant professors are vacant, while one associate professor post is yet to be filled.
The physiology department requires four more assistant professors. Presently, three posts have been filled. As many as 10 posts of assistant professors are lying vacant at the medicine department, while five assistant professor posts and two associate professor posts are yet to be filled at the surgery department. 'Fewer faculty often can impact the focus on research activities and publications that are important for the institution's reputation,' an expert said.
When contacted, Dr Eknath Pawar, Dean, B J Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, told The Indian Express that the staff shortage is being addressed. 'As part of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) recruitment process, interviews are being scheduled, and we have urged them to fast-track the process. At the local level, through the district collector's office, recruitments can also be done, and we are looking into that. Cleanliness services are being outsourced,' Dr Pawar said. 'An advertisement will be issued and we hope to fill Class IV posts soon,' he added.
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition.
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