The Chief Minister, Haryana

 To

The Chief Minister, Haryana 

Chandigarh 


Subject: Regarding Poor Health Services in Haryana and increased fee for MBBS students.


Sir,


With due regards, we, the retired doctors and citizens of Haryana, concerned at the state of affairs in the government health sector, wish to draw your attention to the inter-related issues of the condition of Govt. Health Services in Haryana, the expansion of these services and the increased fees for MBBS students in the State. 

Based on data accessed from the website of the Health Department, Haryana (http://haryanahealth.nic.in/Infrastructure.html) we learn that health services are being provided at present through a network of 2674 Sub Health Centres, 534 Primary Health Centres, 122 Community Health Centres, 70 Civil Hospitals, 11 Polyclinics, 11 Urban Health Centres and 4 Dispensaries

The shortfall of rural health services’ infrastructure as per rural population is in the approximation of figures given below:

Sub Health Centres               634

Primary Health Centres          81

Community Health Centres    53

Medical officers in PHCs      721

Specialists in CHCs              879

Nurses in OBCs/CHCs         378

Radiologists in CHCs           113

Pharmacists in PHCs/CHCs 503

Lab technicians                     508


As per report published in The Tribune on 12 December 2022, the Karnal district Civil Hospital’s radio-diagnostic centre is facing a staff crunch as reflected in the fact that over 150 patients come there daily for ultrasonography and CT scan but only 50 % of them are able to avail the facility. There is reportedly only one radiologist and one sinologist in the hospital.

Based on data verified to the best of our knowledge, we are constrained to say that the situation in the tertiary level Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak is no different, for quite a few departments are facing a shortage of staff there. For instance, in the Department of Orthopaedics as against 21 sanctioned posts of Senior Residents, 12 are vacant and of the 18 sanctioned posts of Consultants, 5 are vacant. In the Anaesthesia Department 12 posts of Consultants are lying vacant as against 54 sanctioned posts, and there are 50 sanctioned posts of senior residents out of which 23 posts are vacant. In the Department of Surgery there are 26 sanctioned posts of Consultants, of which 10 are lying vacant. Similarly there are 30 sanctioned posts of senior residents in Surgery, of which 20 posts are lying vacant. In the Radio Diagnosis Department, there are 11 sanctioned posts of Consultant and 8 are lying vacant. Similarly, there are 13 sanctioned posts of senior residents out of which about 7 are lying vacant.

The condition of the existing 5+1 government medical colleges in Haryana is also being talked about in a similar vein and they are reportedly in a still more miserable situation. 

The government’s reported intent of opening one medical college in each district may be well-intentioned but we would like to emphasize that the first priority should be to improve the health of the existing government health infrastructure and that of existing medical colleges. Expanding without taking care of and strengthening the already existing infrastructure would have its own implications.  

We also feel concerned at the decision of the state government to increase the fee of the MBBS course in Govt. Medical Colleges under the bond policy “regarding Incentivizing Doctors to opt for Government Service after completing MBBS Degree Course” and “revising the fee structure in Government Medical Colleges for MBBS/PG Course”. In our considered opinion this will harm the interests of the common man and act as a negative incentive because students from families with very limited resources will not be able to seek admission to medical colleges under the looming shadow of a bond amount that runs into lakhs of rupees. The resource crunch in terms of shortage of staff detailed above by us will not be resolved through such measures that seek to “incentivize” doctors to opt for government service. For that to happen, concerted efforts have to be made to upgrade the condition of health services in terms of providing the doctors with the infrastructure required for them to be able to work efficiently to the best of their abilities – it is this positive incentive rather than the increase in fees and the bond policy that will attract students to the medical profession. 

The students have now been agitating for around 50 days against this policy related to the bond amount and the high increase in the MBBS fee-structure. It is a matter of concern that the issue stands unresolved even after the round of talks you, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana, has had with the students. 

In the light of what we have stated, we urge you to take steps that help in strengthening the existing infrastructure and providing facilities of education in the health sector in a manner commensurate with the responsibilities of a State that cares for its citizens including, especially, students.    

We also urge and request the Govt. of Haryana to bring peace to the medical colleges by taking steps to re-work the policy and notifications in question to the satisfaction of the students agitating against it.



Sincerely yours
JSA