GURGAON: Govt hospitals are facing a shortage of doctors. Rural districts have been badly hit by the shortage.The state health department has confirmed that 498 medical officer posts are currently vacant.The state has 4,054 sanctioned positions for medical officers. While the official portal shows 2,955 filled, the department revealed that 601 doctors are actually working but not recorded there. This brings the total filled posts to 3,556, leaving nearly 500 empty.The crisis is worse when it comes to specialists. Only 103 gynaecologists, 53 paediatricians and 98 anaesthetists are available across the state.The department has no separate specialist cadre, meaning these doctors are scattered across different health facilities. These figures were provided by the health department in response to questions from the subject committee on empowerment of women.A proposal to fill vacant posts in rural areas was sent to govt on July 2.
At a glance
Dr Ajay, a govt doctor, said, “The shortage of specialists is a bigger concern because many cases cannot be managed at the primary or secondary level. Patients often have to be referred to district hospitals, while the available specialists have to handle a high patient load.”Rural districts are suffering the most. Karnal leads with 128 empty positions, followed by Hisar and Jind with 102 each. Ambala has 90 vacancies, Kaithal 78 and Sirsa 74. Fatehabad, Sonipat, Panipat, Kurukshetra and Bhiwani also report significant shortages.Dr Sanjeev, a govt doctor working at a rural health facility, said, “Vacancies at the medical officer level put additional pressure on the doctors who are available, particularly in rural health facilities. When there are fewer doctors, it becomes difficult to ensure regular OPD services as well as emergency and after-hours care.”Urban areas such as the city face minimal problems with just two vacant posts. Rewari has six and Panchkula has 10. The shortage is hitting patients hard. In many rural health centres, doctors work only part-time or are absent altogether.Pregnant women travel long distances for basic care. Children with illness often go untreated. Emergencies face dangerous delays.At night and on weekends, many health centres shut down completely. Without enough specialists, patients are sent to crowded district hospitals where waiting times stretch for hours.Poor families cannot afford private treatment, so they skip medical care entirely. This leads to preventable deaths and serious health complications, especially in remote villages where govt hospitals are the only option.The state is now acting to fill the gap. “We are in the process of releasing 430 appointment letters and within 15 days medical officers will join. This problem will be solved,” said a senior official from Haryana health department.Most new doctors will be posted in rural and difficult areas. The verification process has been fast-tracked to ensure they start work quickly.However, experts warn this may not be enough. Experts have called for better incentives for rural postings and creation of a specialist cadre. Patients in districts like Karnal, Hisar and Kaithal now wait to see if the new doctors actually arrive at their hospitals.
