Staff Shortage Hits Patient Services; MEDD Yet to Clear Proposal Pending for Nearly 3 Years
Pune:
Despite serving hundreds of patients daily, a newly constructed 11-storey building at BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital (BJMC & SGH) continues to function without official approval for 504 beds, stalling staff recruitment, medicine procurement, and critical patient services. The Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) is yet to act on a proposal submitted as far back as 2022.
The building, which houses key departments including paediatrics, orthopaedics, radiology, and pulmonology, was originally proposed in 2009 post-swine flu, but only became operational in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Severe Staff Shortages Cripple Services
According to Dean Dr. Eknath Pawar, the hospital and medical college are operating at just 66% staffing strength. Of the 2,359 sanctioned posts in the old buildings, 794 positions remain vacant, and in BJMC itself, only 424 out of 732 faculty and staff posts have been filled. “We are functioning under pressure every single day,” said Dr Pawar.
He added that recruitment for Class IV staff is underway, with 350 workers expected in two months, while Class I and II posts are being filled through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
Patients and Families Left to Struggle
The shortage of manpower has direct consequences on patient care. Maya Jagtap, whose relative is admitted in the orthopaedic ward, described how family members have to escort patients for procedures like X-rays due to lack of nurses or ward assistants. “There’s no one to help. We must be here all day,” she said.
Minister Promises Quick Action, Activists Slam Bureaucratic Delay
Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif acknowledged the delay and promised to personally intervene, assuring that if approval was pending at his level, it would be cleared within a week. He also pledged to take the matter up with the MEDD Secretary.
However, BJMC alumnus and health activist Dr Sanjay Dabhade strongly criticised the state, calling the 11-year construction period and subsequent three-year delay in bed approval unacceptable. “This hospital is the last resort for many poor and critical patients. These delays are sabotaging essential services,” he said.
What’s Next?
Approval from MEDD would then move the file to the state finance department for final clearance. Until then, the 504 beds—already in use—remain technically unofficial, affecting everything from budget allocation to staffing and patient support services.
Dr Dabhade warned, “At this rate, conflicts between overburdened staff and desperate patients will become routine unless the government acts swiftly.”
