Patients across Ludhiana district are facing severe hardships as the Civil Hospital, the largest government-run health facility, is struggling without key specialists. Sanctioned posts of medicine, skin and eye specialists remain vacant or partially filled, leaving thousands of patients dependent on doctors working on deputation in makeshift arrangements.
The crisis has persisted not only for months but for years with no permanent appointments made to fill critical gaps. The situation is grim not only at the Civil Hospital but also in the entire district.
Ludhiana’s population is nearing 3.9 million and for the entire district there are only four medicine specialists and these are posted at Khanna, Maachiwara, Jagraon and Ludhiana. Of the total 22 sanctioned posts of medicine specialists, 18 are lying vacant in the district.
Civil Hospital serves as the backbone of public healthcare in the district and the shortage of specialists is only giving a tough time to the patients and the doctors on deputation.
Of the three sanctioned posts for medicine specialists at the hospital, two have remained vacant for over a year. The lone filled position is itself a comedy of errors, as the doctor has been deputed to Faridkot and visits Ludhiana only on Saturdays. On the remaining days of the week, doctors on deputation come here to attend the medicine OPD.
It has been nearly one-and-a-half years since the hospital’s lone medicine specialist, Dr Amanpreet Kaur, was promoted as the District Health and Family Welfare Officer and since her promotion, the post has remained vacant, leaving a critical gap in specialist care at the hospital.
Another department that is without a permanent doctor is skin. Earlier, Dr Rohit Rampal was single-handedly looking after the department but after he was promoted as Senior Medical Officer of the Mother and Child Hospital, the post is lying vacant and now doctors are coming from Raikot, Jagraon and Civil Surgeon’s Office for two days each to fill in the gaps.
The eye department too is running without a specialist. At present, one doctor is coming from the CS Office and another from Samrala for three days each to compensate the absence of an eye specialist.
The shortage has raised concerns among patients and health activists, who point out that the absence of permanent medicine specialists at the Civil Hospital undermines the quality of healthcare in the district. The lack of specialists is seen as a pressing issue that requires immediate government attention.
Dr Akhil Sareen, Senior Medical Officer at the Civil Hospital, said the department was conducting walk-in interviews to recruit specialists. We are also hopeful that a few of the fresh graduates will be posted here.
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