BENGALURU: Government hospitals across the state are grappling with a severe crisis as they face a shortage of nearly 2,000 doctors as vacancies are yet to be filled, especially in rural areas.
Data till June suggest that there is a shortage of 744 specialists, 613 general duty medical officers and 558 medical professionals, including special medical officers and others. Even in the dental sector, 25 posts are vacant of the total 425 sanctioned posts.
Even as Health Commissioner Sivakumar KB is working to fill the 1,940 vacant positions across several roles, government hospital doctors lamented that lack of clear olicies defining the roles, responsibilities, and work ethics is not helping either.
A health department source said that though efforts are being made to fill posts in medical colleges, attracting candidates to the public sector is a challenge.
The official explained that doctors in rural health centres often have to juggle dual roles of healthcare providers and administrators. They also face the added strain of managing various health programmes, which diverts their attention from patient care to non-clinical administrative tasks. This not only affects patient care, but also discourages doctors from accepting rural posts, which many feel declines their clinical skills.
Lack of interest from medical professionals has forced hospitals to opt for short-term hiring to fill the gaps temporarily, further straining the system, the official added.
A source from Vani Vilas Hospital said doctors frequently work extended night shifts after attending to outpatients, which delays patient care. This leads to patients complaining about doctors not visiting them and not making enough rounds, the source added.
Doctors across various government hospitals in Bengaluru said challenges faced by them, specifically in rural areas, extend beyond administrative burden.
‘Improve infra, provide better conditions for docs in rural areas’
Lack of adequate facilities, poor infrastructure and insufficient staff create a high-risk environment that further strains healthcare delivery, they added.
A senior doctor from the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute said that many rural health centres operate with limited resources, making it difficult for them to provide quality care.
Living conditions in staff quarters are often substandard, and access to good schools for their children and basic amenities is limited. These factors have led to reluctance among doctors to serve in rural areas, the doctor added.
Unless policymakers address these issues by clearly defining responsibilities, improving infrastructure and providing better living conditions, the rural healthcare sector will continue to struggle, the doctors added.