Maharashtra: 66% posts vacant in public health department, 41% in medical education

MUMBAI: At a time when it is resisting the novel coronavirus, Maharashtra finds itself severely hamstrung with up to 66% crucial public health posts and 41% positions for medical teachers lying vacant (see box).
Shockingly, of the 18 government-run medical colleges, eight are without deans; the director of medical education, T P Lahane, himself is holding additional charge for more than a year.

The huge vacancies in the public health and medical education departments have shocked administrators. "In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the secretary of the department to fill up the posts. All the posts in the two departments were created long ago and budgetary provisions are made every year for their salaries. Yet, the posts are vacant," said veteran bureaucrat Mahesh Zagde.
Official records of the public health department show there are two posts of director, and both were lying vacant owing to prolonged litigation. One post was filled last year after it was approved by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, but the second post - to be filled up departmentally - is still vacant. The department has not cited any reason why it has not been filled. Many posts, meant for administrators as well as doctors, down the hierarchy have also been vacant for a period ranging from six months to three years (see box).
Messages sent by TOI to both public health secretary Pradeep Vyas and his medical education department counterpart Sanjay Mukherjee on the vacancies and steps taken to fill them went unanswered.
Most of the posts in the super specialty branches are lying vacant. Most of the posts in the departments of nephrology, urology, cardiology and cardiac surgery, oncology, radiology, and neonatology are vacant.