Docs shying away from govt jobs, high attrition rate a double blow for Punjab

Doctors are now preferring the private sector over govt institutions

- Ravinder Vasudeva

CHANDIGARH: Despite the tall claims by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of making a robust health infrastructure in Punjab, the state continues to struggle to attract doctors in the government sector.

Be it medical officers or specialists, the state's high attrition rate has remained a big challenge as doctors are now preferring the private sector over government institutions.

Out of the 400 advertised posts for medical officers (MBBS doctors) recently, 304 candidates were issued appointment letters, of which 100 did not join despite the passage of the one-month joining window.

This was the biggest-ever advertisement issued for the recruitment of doctors by any government in the past 20 years. Similar is the fate of specialist doctors.

In 2023, against 634 posts of specialists advertised, a mere 271 joined and among them, nearly 80 have left the job. As many as 592 had applied for the job against the 634 posts.

The situation is so grim that nearly 40% of posts of medical doctors and 45% of specialists are lying vacant.

According to data collected by HT, in the past over 13 years, nearly 2,700 medical officers were recruited by the Punjab government. However, officials say among them over 700 have left the job during this period citing one reason or the other.