A severe staff crunch in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) health department has raised alarm, with 1,300 out of 1,588 sanctioned posts lying vacant. The data, revealed through an RTI query, points to a collapsing healthcare system struggling to serve over 2.5 million residents.
Currently, only 293 officials and employees are managing the workload meant for more than 1,500. Despite the NMC having a network of hospitals, primary health centers, and health sub-centers, the shortage is severely impacting day-to-day healthcare delivery.
Social activist Abhay Kolarkar noted that 36 out of 58 staff categories have zero appointments. Key posts such as Chief Medical Officer, Pediatrician, Surgeon, Gynecologist, and even ambulance drivers and sanitation workers remain unfilled, posing a threat to public health and emergency response.
While a senior NMC official claimed that contractual staff are covering essential duties, experts argue that short-term hiring cannot substitute experienced, permanent professionals.
Of the total positions, 1,017 are old and 664 newly approved, but recruitment has failed to keep pace—reflecting administrative neglect.
The vacancy includes technical and support staff like ECG technicians, physiotherapists, lab assistants, and public health nurses, severely compromising basic services.
As the city heads into a post-pandemic world, residents are questioning whether such an understaffed system can meet their health needs. Public confidence is eroding, and calls for urgent, transparent action are growing louder.
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