Latest news with #PCMSA
Hindustan Times
08-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Punjab to hire retired doctors to assess quality of health care in govt facilities
In a move aimed at improving health care delivery in government-run facilities, the Punjab government has decided to hire retired doctors to conduct quality assessments. In the circular issued to all civil surgeons – HT has a copy of it – the state health department has invited applications from retired doctors to conduct National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) assessments under the National Health Mission (NHM). As per the written orders, these retired professionals will be empanelled to carry out assessments of district hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres (PHCs), Urban PHCs (UPHCs), and sub centres. 'Applicants must have a sound understanding of public health systems. Preference will be given to those having previous experience or training in quality improvement initiatives or NQAS assessments,' reads the health department's letter. Currently, 1,962 (51%) out of the total 3,847 sanctioned posts of general medical officers are lying vacant. A similar situation prevails in the specialist cadre, where 990 (47%) of the 2,098 sanctioned posts are vacant. Meanwhile, the Punjab civil medical services association (PCMSA) said the government should give priority to young doctors in recruitment. Dr Akhil Sarin, state president, PCMSA, said, 'Instead of giving jobs to young doctors, the government is hiring retired doctors. This move by the government is not in the right direction. We demand that young doctors should be given priority in every recruitment.'
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Violence against doctors: Punjab finally moves to secure govt hospitals
1 2 Chandigarh: After prolonged inaction and mounting pressure from the medical fraternity, Punjab govt has finally begun implementing long-promised security measures to protect healthcare workers. The decision comes in the wake of a disturbing surge in violence against doctors and medical staff at govt hospitals — a crisis that eroded morale and endangered lives on the frontlines of public healthcare. Despite repeated assurances over the past year, frontline medical professionals continued to face physical assaults and verbal abuse, particularly during night shifts, in govt-run hospitals. The combination of insufficient security, staffing shortages, and rising patient aggression left doctors and paramedics operating in a climate of fear. According to data compiled by the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA), over 50 cases of violence against doctors were reported from govt hospitals across Punjab in the past year. Amritsar emerged as the worst-hit district with six such incidents, followed by Hoshiarpur and Pathankot (five each), Moga (four), and Gurdaspur, Nawanshahr, Muktsar, Ludhiana, and Patiala (three each). Several other districts, including Mohali, Tarn Taran, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Barnala, also reported multiple cases. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pessoas com dores no joelho devem fazer isto à noite Saude News Saiba Mais Undo PCMSA, which persistently advocated for urgent intervention, pushed the govt to act. Following its sustained campaign, including a strike last year, the govt committed to deploying round-the-clock security personnel at all hospitals handling medicolegal cases by Sept 9, 2024. However, the deadline lapsed without implementation. Under renewed pressure, the health department has now directed all civil surgeons to furnish detailed reports by Jun 9 on incidents of violence from the past two years, as well as corresponding police actions taken. The move is part of groundwork to operationalise the Punjab Protection of Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2008, which provides a legal framework to safeguard healthcare workers against assaults and vandalism. A govt proposal to deploy CCTV cameras and trained security personnel at public health facilities is currently under active consideration. PCMSA had earlier suggested a cost-effective model, recommending outsourced guards at DC wage rates (around Rs 13,500 per month), scaled according to hospital size — 20 guards for district hospitals, six for sub-divisional hospitals, and four for community health centres offering 24x7 medicolegal services. Despite several meetings with govt officials, including a cabinet sub-committee headed by finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, implementation was repeatedly delayed. It was only during a follow-up meeting on April 14, 2025 — involving health minister Dr Balbir Singh, principal health secretary Kumar Rahul, and Cheema — that the finance department reportedly agreed to deploy guards through PESCO, an organisation comprising ex-servicemen. Dr Akhil Sarin, president of PCMSA, welcomed the step, but cautioned that urgency is paramount. "A disturbing pattern of violence emerged against doctors and medical staff at govt facilities. We can no longer afford delays. The state must ensure immediate implementation of security arrangements," he said. He said the spotlight is now on the govt to translate its promises into concrete protection measures — before another incident adds to the growing list of victims. Recent Incidents of Violence A series of disturbing incidents of violence were reported at civil hospitals in Gurdaspur, Derabassi, and Hoshiarpur during April, raising serious concerns about the safety of healthcare staff and patients. On April 12, an altercation erupted at Gurdaspur civil hospital when two groups brought their fight into the emergency ward. The clash led to significant property damage and forced both doctors and patients to flee for safety. Just a day before, Derabassi civil hospital witnessed a similar incident. A clash between two groups led to chaos, with reports of vandalism and hospital staff locking themselves inside rooms to avoid harm. Eleven individuals were said to have been injured in the incident. MSID:: 121693014 413 |
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Punjab government revises postgraduate quota policy to attract and retain young docs
Chandigarh: In a significant move aimed at addressing the growing shortage of doctors and retaining young talent in the public healthcare system, the Punjab govt has extended the postgraduate (PG) quota benefits to Emergency Medical Officers (EMOs) and Jail Medical Officers (MOs). This benefit, which was previously unavailable to doctors in these roles, is expected to attract more young professionals to govt service and alleviate the pressure on specialists, who are often required to take on non-specialist duties such as managing general emergencies, conducting post-mortems, and performing medico-legal examinations. The govt has also revised the categorisation of health institutions for the purposes of extending the PG quota benefits. This revision, which comes after more than five years, is designed to streamline the allocation of benefits and ensure a fair distribution of incentives. Under the new categorisation, all doctors serving in jails across the state, as well as those who serve or served as EMOs in district hospitals and sub-divisional hospitals, will now be included in the "difficult" category. This category comprises healthcare institutions located outside a 20-kilometre radius of municipal corporations or committees in major cities like Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Mohali, as well as those outside a 10-kilometre radius in the remaining 17 districts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Iconic 90s Women: The Crushes of a Generation Boite A Scoop Undo The categorisation is designed to recognise the challenges faced by medical professionals working in less accessible areas. Additionally, health institutions within a 20-kilometre radius of municipal corporation limits in the six metropolitan cities will now be categorised as "normal". Meanwhile, institutions located in border areas near the international border and in Kandi areas, as well as those in aspirational districts and blocks identified by NITI Aayog, will be classified under the "more difficult" category. Importantly, the benefits accrued for services rendered by PCMS doctors in these difficult or more difficult areas before 1 April 2025 will remain unaffected. These benefits will continue to be granted as per the prevailing policy in force during the period of service. The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has warmly welcomed the govt's decision to revise the PG policy. Dr Akhil Sarin, president of PCMSA, expressed strong support for the move, stating that this initiative will be a "game-changer" in the govt's efforts to attract young MBBS graduates to the public health cadre. The reservation of seats in medical colleges/institutions for respective categories will be in accordance with the applicable laws prevailing in the states. An all-India merit list, as well as a state-wise merit list of eligible candidates, will be prepared based on the marks obtained in the NEET exam. Candidates will be admitted to postgraduate courses solely from these merit lists. For candidates who are already in govt service, the govt will provide a weightage in the marks as an incentive. This weightage will be up to 10% of the marks obtained for each year of service in remote, difficult, or rural areas, with a maximum weightage of 30% of the marks obtained in NEET. The remote, difficult, or rural areas will be defined and notified by the state govt. MSID: 121318808 413 |
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Punjab looks to hire 1,000 docs to meet acute shortage, plans to wrap up hirings by end of year
Chandigarh: To address the chronic shortage of doctors across its health facilities, Punjab govt is gearing up to initiate a large-scale recruitment drive to hire 1,000 medical officers. This decision comes on the heels of the state's recruitment of 400 medical officers—a process that began last year after a gap of four years. The shortfall of nearly 1,000 sanctioned posts lying vacant has severely impacted healthcare delivery, particularly in border and rural regions. The issue was prominently raised during the recent budget session, with even legislators from incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) flagging the absence of doctors in their constituencies. Health minister Dr Balbir Singh assured the assembly that the govt was committed to addressing the gap, and this recruitment initiative is a step toward fulfilling this promise. Despite each district in Punjab having at least one district hospital, many have poor infrastructure, face human resource shortages, and have inadequate service delivery. Alarmingly, only 45% of these hospitals meet the required doctor staffing norms. The state's doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1.02 per 1,000—well below the national average of 1:811. To improve public healthcare access and quality, Punjab set an ambitious target of increasing this ratio to 2 doctors per 1,000 people by 2030, and to 4 by 2047. The govt also committed to formulating fresh recruitment and promotion policies, while increasing MBBS seats in state medical colleges. The upcoming recruitment plan was discussed in detail on April 17 during a meeting between principal (health secretary) Kumar Rahul, director (health services) Dr Hitinder Kaur, and a delegation from Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Walmart Photos With a New Level of Detail Old Money Style Undo Officials said the drive will be launched shortly, and they intend to wrap it up by the end of this year. Welcoming the move, PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sarin reiterated the need for regular hiring of PCMS doctors to fortify Punjab's public health infrastructure. "A robust and continuous recruitment process is essential to ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable populations," said Dr Sarin. He urged the govt to expedite the hiring process. However, attracting young talent remains a major challenge. Punjab currently offers an entry-level basic salary of Rs 53,100—significantly lower than the central scale of Rs 67,100 and Haryana's Rs 56,100. The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has been demanding a revision of the pay structure to bring it in line with neighbouring states and central norms, making govt jobs more competitive and appealing. In addition, PCMSA has been advocating for a secure working environment for medical professionals, along with the provision of adequate equipment and support staff to ensure optimal services for the general public.
