Kerala’s government hospitals are grappling with an alarming shortage of specialist doctors, nurses, and technicians, as revealed by a recent audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The report highlights critical staffing deficiencies, especially in taluk and community health centres, which significantly impact the quality of healthcare delivery in the state.
The audit found that taluk hospitals have several unfilled posts for radiologists, gynaecologists, anaesthetists, and pathologists. Community health centres are particularly under-resourced, with none of the centres audited having a gynaecologist. Across 53 hospitals, a total shortfall of 147 doctors was noted, while only 12 of the 32 family health centres met staffing standards.
The nursing staff situation is equally dire. Guidelines recommend one nurse for every six beds in general wards; however, some hospitals reported having just one nurse for 51 to 60 beds during third shifts. At Neyyattinkara General Hospital, the shortage was as high as 73%. Lab technicians are also in short supply, with 13 family health centres operating without any lab technicians.
Medical colleges face similar challenges, with a 15.55% vacancy rate for doctors. Despite meeting sanctioned staff numbers, key roles such as senior residents remain vacant in institutions like Manjeri Medical College, where only 90 of the required 150 teaching staff positions have been filled.
The AYUSH department also struggles with 183 vacant doctor positions, 112 nursing vacancies, and 207 unfilled paramedical posts. Additionally, 243 other support staff roles remain vacant. These systemic gaps in staffing pose a significant challenge to Kerala’s healthcare infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for government intervention to address these shortages and ensure equitable healthcare access.
