NEW DELHI: Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said on Sunday that there is a “huge shortage” of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff in government-run hospitals despite “repeatedly reminding” Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena about the crisis.
“Critical vacancies, including that of radiologists, remain unfilled. The High Court’s guidelines of immediate contractual hiring was also ignored,” Bharadwaj claimed.
The AAP senior leader said he was very surprised to read a news report that the Delhi government is responsible for appointing doctors, nurses, and other paramedical staff in hospitals.
“The Services Department comes directly under the L-G of Delhi, and the job of filling the vacant posts in the Delhi Government is the responsibility L-G,” he said. “I have written multiple times to him but there has been no action. I joined as health minister in March last year and wrote to him in April to fill 292 vacancies of doctors and 234 vacancies of specialists. I had suggested that since the recruitment through the UPSC is taking time, the doctors could be hired on a contractual basis,” he said.
The minister said he again requested the LG on July 26 this year to recruit doctors, specialists and paramedics on a contractual basis.
Bharadwaj said the poor and helpless patients from other states coming to the city for treatment are unfortunately returning due to the crisis.
“These poor people are not able to get adequate and complete treatment in Delhi hospitals, and this is being done deliberately under a conspiracy,” he alleged.
There was no immediate reaction from the LG’s office to the allegation.