The state government informed the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that over 1,900 positions are vacant at government-run medical colleges and hospitals in Gujarat.
According to Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, as of December 2022, 1,974 of the total 14,403 sanctioned posts were vacant at the state’s five government-run medical colleges, four major civil hospitals, five physiotherapy colleges, and two dental colleges.
Against the sanctioned 3,925 posts at the five state-run medical colleges in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, and Jamnagar, the minister said in a written response to MLA questions.
He said that of the 9,722 positions available at the four government-run hospitals in Ahmedabad, Surat, Jamnagar, and Vadodara, 834 were unfilled.
In five state-run physiotherapy hospitals, 85 of the 318 sanctioned positions were vacant. There were 82 vacant positions in two dental colleges in Ahmedabad and Jamnagar, compared to 438 sanctioned positions.
Several BJP MLAs, including Vadodara MLA Yogesh Patel, expressed concern about the shortage of staff at state-run hospitals and asked when these positions would be filled.
The minister stated that the government was committed to providing people with quality healthcare, and that vacant positions were being filled on a regular basis.