Rajasthan Doctor Shortage Alarms High Court

The Rajasthan High Court has taken serious notice of the acute shortage of specialist doctors, demanding a response from the state government regarding numerous vacant positions within the medical and health department. A division bench observed that if the reported figures are accurate, these vacancies are critically impacting public healthcare services. The Public Interest Litigation highlighted that out of 5,769 sanctioned specialist posts, only 3,545 are filled, leaving 2,224 vacancies – a vacancy rate of 38.55%.

These vacancies are particularly acute in key specialties such as obstetrics, gynaecology, anaesthesia, medicine, paediatrics, radiology, orthopaedics, and ENT. This deficit significantly affects healthcare, especially at community, sub-district, and district hospitals, often forcing the referral of critically ill patients to higher medical centers. The court has directed the state government to verify these figures and provide an explanation for the prolonged emptiness of these essential specialist roles. The next hearing is scheduled for July 30, with the petitioner also seeking an expedited recruitment process for junior specialist positions.