Over 2,000 vacant posts in three government hospitals in Delhi: Health Ministry

Over 2,000 posts for doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in three large Central government hospitals in Delhi — Safdarjung Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals, are vacant

There are over 2,000 vacant posts for doctors, nurses and paramedical staff in three large Central government hospitals in the National Capital — Safdarjung Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals, according to information provided by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry in the Lok Sabha earlier this week.

The three hospitals have a combined bed strength of 5,929, and a sanctioned staff strength of 10,458. They have 52, 20 and 13 operation theatres, and one, two, and one computed tomography (CT) scan machines, respectively.

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Responding to a question by Member of Parliament Varun Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel told the House that a total of 903 posts for doctors are vacant in the three hospitals, while 476 posts for nursing staff and 695 paramedical staff positions are vacant this year.

She added that the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital will be getting an additional 666 beds in an under-construction super-speciality wing.

The Ministry was questioned about the number of beds available in government hospitals for in-patients in the country during the last five years; the present sanctioned strength and vacancies of doctors, nurses and paramedics; and whether there is any proposal to increase the healthcare infrastructure in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines, and details thereof.

The Ministry maintained that since public health and hospitals are a State subject, no Centralised data is maintained State-wise.