Chandigarh, Dec 12— Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari on Friday said the reported vacancies in nursing and paramedical staff at PGIMER, GMCH-32 and GMSH-16 raise “serious concerns” about the functioning of the city’s top public hospitals, urging the Centre to fill the posts without delay.
“My question was regarding the vacancies in nursing and paramedical staff in PGIMER, GMCH-16 and GMCH-32,” Tewari said. “Staffing and human resource optimisation is a pre-requisite for the smooth functioning of any medical institution. All pending vacancies must be immediately filled and the arbitrariness intrinsic to outsourcing processes needs to be proscribed.”
The Union Health Ministry, in its written reply, confirmed 834 vacancies across the three institutions and acknowledged that PGIMER is operating beyond its intended capacity. The ministry said hospitals are continuing to hire outsourced staff to maintain essential services.
Tewari said staffing gaps in these high-footfall institutions directly affect patient care, particularly in trauma and emergency response. PGIMER, GMCH-32 and GMSH-16 collectively manage one of the heaviest patient loads in North India.
The MP said timely recruitment and removal of administrative delays are critical to preventing further strain. The CAT-imposed freeze on PGIMER’s nursing promotions, he said, has added to the pressure on an already stretched workforce.
