Doctors are being motivated to serve in Muktsar: Health Minister

Punjab: Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh, who visited Muktsar recently, said, “Doctors don’t come here. We are trying to motivate them.” The minister made these comments while interacting with residents who raised the issue of acute shortage of medical specialists in government hospitals in the district. “The health department had deployed 12 specialists in Muktsar and Gidderbaha civil hospitals last month. However, only one or two doctors have joined duty in Muktsar civil hospital,” he said. “Maybe only one or two could come here. Nine were deployed in Muktsar. See, there is a genuine reason behind this – you have to understand,” he said, acknowledging the chronic shortage of healthcare professionals in the area. The state government had recently appointed fresh MD/MS graduates, nine in Muktsar and three in Gidderbaha, all of whom had signed indemnity bonds of Rs 10 to 15 lakh, committing to serve the government for one to two years.

So far, 10 of them have not joined. Chief Medical Officer Dr Jagdeep Chawla said, “One anaesthetist and one medicine specialist have taken charge at Muktsar Civil Hospital. No one has reported at Gidderbaha. I have been told that some doctors have not yet completed their course.” The nine doctors who were ordered to take charge last month include specialists in chest, medicine, anaesthesia, radiology, surgery and gynaecology. Three others, a skin specialist, an eye specialist and a medicine specialist, have been posted at Gidderbaha Civil Hospital. Sources said that out of the 41 sanctioned posts for doctors at Muktsar Civil Hospital, only 16 have been filled. Even the post of senior medical officer has been lying vacant for some time now, with additional charge being given to the deputy medical commissioner. However, this is not a new case. In 2016, during the SAD-BJP rule, the then health minister Surjit Kumar Jyani had openly admitted that no government doctor was willing to serve in Muktsar.