Delhi Health Minister rules out shortage of medicines, doctors to fight Covid

Though the Health Minister stated there was no shortage of doctors, nurses, paramedics and non-medical staff in dispensaries, hospitals and clinics, the government also issued a list of posts lying vacant.

New Delhi: Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday informed the Delhi Assembly that there was no shortage of medical staff in state-run hospitals and clinics, even as the national capital is seeing an uptick in coronavirus cases in the last few days. Jain was replying to a question by BJP MLA O P Sharma.

While Jain stated that there was no shortage of doctors, nurses, paramedics and non-medical staff in dispensaries, hospitals and clinics, the government also issued a list of posts lying vacant. The Health Minister said the government is taking steps to fill them.

Asked about the steps being taken to fill the vacant posts, he informed the Assembly that they have been sending letters to UPSC and DSSSB, demanding filling up of the vacant posts.

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According to numbers shared by the Delhi government, 1,236 sanctioned posts of specialists are there in state-run medical facilities and of these, 932 have been filled with regular candidates and 43 posts have contractual employees while 261 posts are lying vacant.

Meanwhile, there are 1,357 sanctioned posts of General Duty Medical Officer and out of these 1,219 posts have been filled while 44 posts have been filled up by contractual employees. Eighty-four GDMO posts are lying vacant.