85 of 117 medical officer posts lying vacant in Sangrur district

Sushil Goyal

Sangrur, June 23

Acute shortage of Medical Officers (doctors) in Government Civil Hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs), mini Primary Health centres (mini PHCs), Subsidiary Health Centres (SHCs), urban slum area dispensaries etc. is a matter of grave concern in Sangrur district. Due to vacant posts of doctors, health services have been adversely affected. Not only many posts of Medical Officer (MO) are vacant but two posts of Senior Medical Officer (SMO) have also been lying vacant in the district.

According to sources in the health department, over 72 per cent posts of MO have been lying vacant these days as out of 117 sanctioned posts, as many as 85 are vacant in different parts of the Sangrur district. It is a matter of astonishment that the post of SMO at Civil Hospital, Sangrur (district headquarter), has been lying vacant since December 16, 2023. The post of SMO at CHC, Sherpur is vacant from May 1, 2024.

At Civil Hospital, Sangrur, out of 10 sanctioned posts of Emergency Medical Officer (EMO), nine posts have been lying vacant while out of seven sanctioned posts of EMO, six are vacant at Civil Hospital, Sunam. Likewise, out of seven sanctioned posts of EMO, three have been lying vacant at Civil Hospital, Dhuri.

Besides, four posts of EMO, out of sanctioned seven posts, have been lying vacant at Sub Division Hospital, Moonak. At Rural Hospital, Mandvi (Moonak), out of two sanctioned posts of MO, a post is vacant while at Rural Hospital, Cheema, both sanctioned posts of the MO are vacant. In Lehragaga, four EMOs, against two sanctioned posts of the EMO, have been performing duties at the CHC, Lehragaga.

One post of MO each has also been lying vacant at the CHCs, located at Longowal, Sherpur and Fatehgarh Panjgrian. One post of MO each in many subsidiary health centres (SHCs) of the district has also been lying vacant. One post of MO each has been lying vacant, against one sanctioned post each, in urban slum area dispensaries at Sangrur, Dhuri and Sunam cities.

A post of MO each, against one sanctioned post, has also been lying vacant in various mini PHCs situated at Khanauri, Maniana, Mehlan, Jakhepal, Chhajli, Gharachon, Nidampur, Bhasaur, Saron, Gaggarpur, Bhalwan, Mullowal, Meemsa.

When contacted, Dr Kirpal Singh, Civil Surgeon, Sangrur, admitted that more than 80 posts of MO and two posts of SMO at Sangrur and Sherpur have been lying vacant in Sangrur district. He said every month a reminder was being sent by his office to the department to fill the vacant posts and make the requisite manpower available. He said the higher authorities of the health department had assured him that the vacant posts of the MO and SMO would be filled soon. 

No SMO in Sangrur Civil Hospital

• The post of Senior Medical Officers (SMO) at Civil Hospital, Sangrur (district headquarter), has been lying vacant since December 16, 2023
• The post of SMO at CHC, Sherpur in Sangrur has been vacant from May 1, 2024
• Nine out of 10 sanctioned posts of Emergency Medical Officer (EMO) have been lying vacant
• Out of seven sanctioned posts of EMO in Sunam Civil Hospital, six have been lying vacant

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