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Time of India
7 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Punjab health system hit by exit of 30 specialists who signed 10-year bond
Chandigarh: In a blow to Punjab's struggling public healthcare system, 31 specialist doctors who pursued post-graduation under the govt quota abruptly exited service without completing the mandatory service period or depositing the stipulated bond amount of Rs 50 lakh. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This departure comes at a time when the state is already grappling with an acute shortage of specialist doctors in its public health institutions. These doctors had availed govt-sponsored, post-graduate medical education, which requires a 10-year service bond in exchange for subsidised admission under the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) quota. On average, 50–100 medical officers are granted such seats annually, making them contractually bound to serve the state for a decade after their PG course. In the most recent wave of exits, four doctors each resigned from Sangrur and Ludhiana, three each from Kapurthala, Mansa, and Faridkot, two each from Mohali, Tarn Taran, and Ropar, and one each from Bathinda, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, and Barnala. Not only have these doctors breached their service commitment, but none have deposited the bond amount they pledged at the time of admission. Alarmed by this violation, the Punjab health department directed civil surgeons across districts to initiate recovery proceedings. Civil surgeons have been instructed to contact these doctors immediately and serve them a 21-day notice to deposit the bond amount. If they fail, disciplinary action will be initiated, and the department has directed that a formal request be made to the Punjab Medical Council or relevant regulatory bodies to cancel their medical registration. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to departmental guidelines, in-service PCMS or PCMS (dental) doctors applying for PG or super-specialty courses must first secure a certificate from their civil surgeon, verifying service tenure, rural postings, and absence of pending inquiries. Based on this, the director of health services (DHS) issues a recommendation for eligibility, following which the department grants an eligibility certificate for PG admissions. Once selected, these candidates are required to submit an indemnity bond, promising to serve for 10 years after their PG, or pay a penalty of Rs 50 lakh in case of default. Only after submission of the bond are candidates granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) and relieved. Failing to fulfil the bond terms is treated as gross misconduct, warranting not only financial recovery but also de-registration from medical councils. The policy stipulates that only serving doctors with at least 2 years (or 1 year in some cases) of service are eligible for the NOC to pursue higher studies under the bond conditions. Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) president Dr Akhil Sarin said the govt is well within its rights to enforce the terms of the service bond. "Doctors who avail govt quota for post-graduation must honour their professional and moral obligation to serve the public health system," said Dr Sarin. "Terms are clear, and respecting the bond ensures that quality health services reach the people of Punjab. " He added such abrupt exits undermine the state's investment in medical education and directly impact healthcare delivery in underserved regions. The association has also urged the govt to take a balanced view, ensuring that while discipline is maintained, larger systemic issues like pay parity and work conditions are also addressed to improve long-term retention. "As Punjab's public health infrastructure continues to strain under the weight of vacancies and attrition, the enforcement of bond obligations may serve as both a deterrent and a signal of the govt's renewed focus on accountability and service delivery," he said. MSID:: 122391241 413 |
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Punjab's rural dispensaries crumble amid urban health push, staff freeze
Chandigarh: Despite the Punjab government's push for urban healthcare reforms, rural healthcare in the state remains in crisis. Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government announced new initiatives such as 1,000 additional MBBS posts in the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS), hundreds of rural dispensaries continue to operate without medical staff or basic infrastructure, people familiar with the matter said. A total of 1,186 rural dispensaries were set up in Punjab under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in 2006 to provide healthcare through Panchayati Raj Institutions and bring basic medical services closer to villagers. However, a majority of these dispensaries are not functioning as intended. More than 600 dispensaries across the state do not have a single medical officer (MO) posted, leaving rural residents without access to essential healthcare, said an official privy to the matter. Doctors reassigned, dispensaries neglected In 2017, a total of 129 dispensaries were transferred from the rural development department to the health department in a bid to improve management. However, many of the medical officers were reassigned to primary health centres (PHCs) and urban health centres (UHCs), leaving the rural dispensaries understaffed and dysfunctional. Currently, only 530 rural medical officers (RMOs) work under the zila parishads, insufficient to cover all the rural healthcare centres. In areas like Mansa, Bathinda, Sangrur and Ferozepur, rural residents are forced to travel 30 to 40 kilometres to access basic medical treatment. Amarjeet Kaur, a resident near Barnala, said: 'Our dispensary opens only occasionally and there is no doctor. We are given a few tablets, but for serious illness, we have to go to the city.' No staff recruitment Health workers and rural residents say there has been no recruitment for rural dispensaries in over a decade. Rajesh Sharma, secretary of the Rural Medical Services Association (RMSA), criticised the Punjab government for ignoring rural healthcare needs. 'While urban areas get more clinics and facilities, village dispensaries are being ignored,' Sharma said. 'Bureaucrats, backed by urban doctors with vested interests, have misinformed political leadership, stalling recruitment,' he added. Sharma also raised concerns about the government's announcement of new medical officer posts, suggesting that doctors may not be posted to rural areas. 'In the past, doctors have been assigned to rural centres on paper but continue to work in urban hospitals,' he added. Infrastructure in ruins In addition to staffing shortages, many rural dispensaries lack basic infrastructure such as electricity, water and furniture. There are also issues with medicine supply, with stocks often running out for months at a time. According to a doctor working in rural Punjab, 'there is an erratic supply of medicines. Some dispensaries have medicine for only two or three months a year'. Rural healthcare activists point out that while the SAD-BJP government had made improvements, things started to deteriorate under the Congress government from 2017 to 2022, and now, under the AAP government, the system seems to be in complete neglect. While the rural development minister and secretary could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts, an official from the department acknowledged the issue. 'We are aware of the shortage and have flagged it with higher authorities. We are working on how to fill vacancies and recruit doctors, particularly in remote areas where PCMS doctors are unwilling to work,' the official said, requesting anonymity. The official also mentioned that the department has begun the process of procuring medicines for rural dispensaries and aims to resolve supply chain issues.
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Found contaminated, intravenous fluid recalled from hospitals
Amid reports that an intravenous (IV) fluid is contaminated, the Punjab health department has recalled it from all health centres. This comes barely three months after another IV fluid (Normal Saline) was recalled. In an SOS message to the civil surgeons on Thursday, the health department issued directions to immediately halt the usage of Ringer's Lactate, manufactured by Albert David. Consequently, health officials have directed all district and block-level health officers to immediately remove the drug from their inventories and isolate it. The higher-ups got to know about the issue after there were reports that the results after administering this fluid were not as desired, said a health official, wishing not to be named. 'It has come to the notice that Ringer's Lactate (Punjab government supply), manufactured by Albert David (batch number P4050880), has been found contaminated in some of the health facilities in the state. Additionally, all the available stock of the aforementioned batch should immediately be isolated and kept under safe custody to prevent any further use. This may be treated as the most urgent,' reads the letter, a copy of which is available with HT. Ringer's Lactate, also known as lactated Ringer's solution, is a type of intravenous fluid used to replace fluid and electrolyte losses. It is especially used for restoring blood volume in situations like trauma, burns and sepsis, as well as in cases of hypovolemia (low blood volume). Additionally, it can be used as an alkalinising agent to help correct metabolic acidosis. Confirming the development, Punjab Health System Corporation's (PHSC) nodal officer (purchase) Dr Pawanpreet Kaur said she was still gathering reports from the districts regarding the issue. 'Therefore, I won't be able to comment much on the issue at this moment,' she said. Health minister Dr Balbir Singh did not respond to repeated calls and messages. Meanwhile, Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association said,' With the government persistently expressing its commitment to bolster the public healthcare services in the state, it is vital to ensure that the drugs and consumables of optimum quality are procured.' In March, Normal Saline (NS) — a commonly used IV fluid — was pulled from circulation after 20 women fell ill at a government health centre in Sangrur.
Hindustan Times
27-04-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
3rd hospital violence in a month: Two groups clash at Nawashahr civil hospital
In the third such incident in Punjab this month, two groups clashed inside the emergency ward of Nawanshahr's civil hospital on Friday evening. Similar clashes had been reported from Dera Bassi and Gurdaspur civil hospitals on April 11 and April 12 respectively, following which the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association had demanded that security guards be deployed at state-run hospitals. During a meeting with PCMS representatives, the government had agreed in principle to beef up security at medical facilities across the state. In the latest incident, the two groups had been admitted to the emergency ward with medicolegal injuries when they began verbally abusing each other. According to the police, the hospital staff asked the two groups to move to separate wards, but they continued abusing and assaulting each other. A cabin in the hospital was also damaged in the incident. Following the complaint of the hospital's medical officer Gagandeep Singh, a case under Sections 194(2) (affray) and 324(3) (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other sections of the Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008, was registered against four accused. The accused were identified as Jashanjit Singh Kahlon, Jaskarandeep Singh, Gaurav Kumar and Vishal Chhadi, all residents of Muzaffarpur village of SBS Nagar. PCMS association state president Dr Akhil Sarin said it is highly condemnable that yet another incident of violence has been reported from a hospital. 'Besides doctors and medical staff, such incidents pose a threat to patients as well. We met state government officials last week who assured us that security would be provided at civil hospitals and other medical facilities. We demand the government to fast-track the process.'
