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Time of India
21-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Punjab government revises postgraduate quota policy to attract and retain young docs
Chandigarh: In a significant move aimed at addressing the growing shortage of doctors and retaining young talent in the public healthcare system, the Punjab govt has extended the postgraduate (PG) quota benefits to Emergency Medical Officers (EMOs) and Jail Medical Officers (MOs). This benefit, which was previously unavailable to doctors in these roles, is expected to attract more young professionals to govt service and alleviate the pressure on specialists, who are often required to take on non-specialist duties such as managing general emergencies, conducting post-mortems, and performing medico-legal examinations. The govt has also revised the categorisation of health institutions for the purposes of extending the PG quota benefits. This revision, which comes after more than five years, is designed to streamline the allocation of benefits and ensure a fair distribution of incentives. Under the new categorisation, all doctors serving in jails across the state, as well as those who serve or served as EMOs in district hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals, will now be included in the "difficult" category. This category comprises healthcare institutions located outside a 20-kilometre radius of municipal corporations or committees in major cities like Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Mohali, as well as those outside a 10-kilometre radius in the remaining 17 districts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Iconic 90s Women: The Crushes of a Generation Boite A Scoop Undo The categorisation is designed to recognise the challenges faced by medical professionals working in less accessible areas. Additionally, health institutions within a 20-kilometre radius of municipal corporation limits in the six metropolitan cities will now be categorised as "normal". Meanwhile, institutions located in border areas near the international border and in Kandi areas, as well as those in aspirational districts and blocks identified by NITI Aayog, will be classified under the "more difficult" category. Importantly, the benefits accrued for services rendered by PCMS doctors in these difficult or more difficult areas before 1 April 2025 will remain unaffected. These benefits will continue to be granted as per the prevailing policy in force during the period of service. The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has warmly welcomed the govt's decision to revise the PG policy. Dr Akhil Sarin, president of PCMSA, expressed strong support for the move, stating that this initiative will be a "game-changer" in the govt's efforts to attract young MBBS graduates to the public health cadre. The reservation of seats in medical colleges/institutions for respective categories will be in accordance with the applicable laws prevailing in the states. An all-India merit list, as well as a state-wise merit list of eligible candidates, will be prepared based on the marks obtained in the NEET exam. Candidates will be admitted to postgraduate courses solely from these merit lists. For candidates who are already in govt service, the govt will provide a weightage in the marks as an incentive. This weightage will be up to 10% of the marks obtained for each year of service in remote, difficult, or rural areas, with a maximum weightage of 30% of the marks obtained in NEET. The remote, difficult, or rural areas will be defined and notified by the state govt. MSID: 121318808 413 |
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Punjab looks to hire 1,000 docs to meet acute shortage, plans to wrap up hirings by end of year
Chandigarh: To address the chronic shortage of doctors across its health facilities, Punjab govt is gearing up to initiate a large-scale recruitment drive to hire 1,000 medical officers. This decision comes on the heels of the state's recruitment of 400 medical officers—a process that began last year after a gap of four years. The shortfall of nearly 1,000 sanctioned posts lying vacant has severely impacted healthcare delivery, particularly in border and rural regions. The issue was prominently raised during the recent budget session, with even legislators from incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) flagging the absence of doctors in their constituencies. Health minister Dr Balbir Singh assured the assembly that the govt was committed to addressing the gap, and this recruitment initiative is a step toward fulfilling this promise. Despite each district in Punjab having at least one district hospital, many have poor infrastructure, face human resource shortages, and have inadequate service delivery. Alarmingly, only 45% of these hospitals meet the required doctor staffing norms. The state's doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1.02 per 1,000—well below the national average of 1:811. To improve public healthcare access and quality, Punjab set an ambitious target of increasing this ratio to 2 doctors per 1,000 people by 2030, and to 4 by 2047. The govt also committed to formulating fresh recruitment and promotion policies, while increasing MBBS seats in state medical colleges. The upcoming recruitment plan was discussed in detail on April 17 during a meeting between principal (health secretary) Kumar Rahul, director (health services) Dr Hitinder Kaur, and a delegation from Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Walmart Photos With a New Level of Detail Old Money Style Undo Officials said the drive will be launched shortly, and they intend to wrap it up by the end of this year. Welcoming the move, PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sarin reiterated the need for regular hiring of PCMS doctors to fortify Punjab's public health infrastructure. "A robust and continuous recruitment process is essential to ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable populations," said Dr Sarin. He urged the govt to expedite the hiring process. However, attracting young talent remains a major challenge. Punjab currently offers an entry-level basic salary of Rs 53,100—significantly lower than the central scale of Rs 67,100 and Haryana's Rs 56,100. The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has been demanding a revision of the pay structure to bring it in line with neighbouring states and central norms, making govt jobs more competitive and appealing. In addition, PCMSA has been advocating for a secure working environment for medical professionals, along with the provision of adequate equipment and support staff to ensure optimal services for the general public.
