Pune civic hospitals’ PICUs shut amid doctor shortage

Concerns are mounting over the nonfunctional paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) at Pune’s_ civic-run hospitals, including Kamla Nehru Hospital, following a letter from Sassoon General Hospital's Paediatrics Department highlighting an acute shortage of doctors.

- Indu Bhagat

Former Standing Committee chairperson and ex-corporator Ashwini Nitin Kadam has accused the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) of “administrative negligence” and demanded immediate action to reopen the PICUs.

She said that while crores have been spent on advanced equipment, the facilities remain idle due to inefficiency and poor planning.

“It is shocking that in a city like Pune, known for its medical institutions, civic hospitals are unable to appoint doctors. The claim that no doctors are available is misleading. The real issue lies in inefficiency and lack of will within the civic health department,” Kadam said.

She added that delays in recruitment, poor contractual terms for medical staff, and a lack of accountability among senior health officials have crippled the civic healthcare system. “Keeping paediatric ICUs shut due to a lack of doctors is unacceptable. This is not just administrative negligence—it’s a matter of public health and children’s safety,” she said.