Government hospitals and medical colleges in Haryana are facing a serious shortage of doctors, putting additional pressure on the public healthcare system and increasing the workload of medical professionals.
Nearly 67 per cent of sanctioned doctor posts across the state’s eight government medical colleges are vacant, according to a ground assessment published on Monday. The shortage is being reported across different levels of the public healthcare system.
In districts such as Hisar and Jind, the shortage has affected the availability of doctors for routine consultations as well as specialised medical services. At Jind’s civil hospital, for example, only around 100 doctors are effectively available, while 126 of 226 sanctioned Medical Officer positions are filled.
Doctors working in government facilities have also reported a heavy administrative burden alongside their clinical responsibilities. Apart from treating patients, medical officers may have to handle medico-legal cases, court-related work and field responsibilities.
The shortage can increase pressure on doctors who remain in service and may contribute to longer waiting times for patients. In busy government hospitals, fewer doctors have to attend to large numbers of patients, making workload management a continuing challenge.
The situation also highlights the importance of retaining medical professionals in the government healthcare system. Recruitment alone may not address the problem if doctors continue to leave public service because of workload, administrative responsibilities or limited professional opportunities.
Government hospitals remain an important source of affordable healthcare, particularly for patients who cannot easily access private medical facilities.
The Haryana situation therefore underlines the need for sustained recruitment, better workforce planning and measures aimed at retaining doctors in public hospitals.
Addressing vacancies at different levels could help improve patient access and reduce the pressure on doctors currently working in the state’s government healthcare network.
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