Shortage of staff major concern for Delhi hospitals

The shortage of staff in Delhi government hospitals has been a cause of major suffering for the patients relying on the public healthcare systems. A recent data from two major hospitals in Delhi revealed the shocking story. Many vacant posts, combined with current staff involved in administrative work, the lack of patient care is taking a toll on the city's health.

In one of East-Delhi's largest tertiary care hospital, Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, there has been no hiring of any doctors from University College of Medical Sciences of the Delhi University in the last six years. The medical college is affiliated to the GTB hospital and even then there has been a zero intake, despite the staff crunch.

The sanctioned specialists requirement in the non-teaching posts at the hospital are 21, which include three in Neurosurgery, one in psychiatry, one in radiology, but only ten are filled and eleven posts remain vacant. Of the teaching faculty posts, there are 85 sanctioned posts, including 14 pediatrics, three orthopedics, five medicine, and five surgery, but only 50 posts are filled while 35 remain vacant. This is the shocking state of a hospital with a footfall of over 7,000 patients a day.

"The problem is the disparity in understanding. Every year, there is a 5-10 per cent increase in the patient load, and based on that, sometimes the sanctioned posts are increased. While instead of increasing the sanctioned posts on paper, one should look at filling the already vacant posts. This whole cycle of work hampers the work of the efficient workers as they feel overloaded," said a senior doctor from a Delhi-government hospital.

Similarly, the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences is running on a short strength where the total hospital sanctioned posts are 821, of which, 320 remain vacant. The largest government-run tertiary-care hospital for psychiatric illness and neuro-surgical illness in the national capital has 21 sanctioned posts of clinical psychologists, of these 17 lie vacant as per the data from an RTI reply. Of the 70 senior residents and 80 junior residents posts, 26 and 34 lie vacant, respectively.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the doctor-population ratio should be 1:1,000, that is, one doctor for every 1,000 people. In India, the ratio is close to 1:1,700, far behind that number. According to the Medical Council of India (MCI), 10.2 lakh doctors are registered with its state branches. However, according to the government, assuming 80 per cent availability, only about 8.2 lakh doctors are in active service to serve a population of over 1.3 billion Indians.

ABYSMAL NUMBERS

• According to WHO, the doctor-population ratio should be 1:1,000, that is, one doctor for every 1,000 people 
   
• In India, the ratio is close to 1:1,700, far behind that number 
   
• According to MCI, 10.2 lakh doctors are registered with its state branches