After Sassoon General Hospital’s Paediatrics Department wrote to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) highlighting the shortage of doctors in civic hospitals, concerns are growing over the closure of Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) at Kamla Nehru and other civic hospitals.
Former Standing Committee Chairperson and ex-corporator Ashwini Nitin Kadam has demanded urgent action from the civic administration and wrote a letter stating that while crores of rupees have been spent on advanced medical equipment, the facilities remain unused due to administrative negligence.
“It is shocking that in a city like Pune, known for its medical institutions, civic hospitals are unable to appoint doctors. The claim that no doctors are available is misleading. The real issue lies in inefficiency and lack of will within the civic health department,” Kadam said.
She pointed out that the municipal hospitals, which are well-equipped with infrastructure and machinery, have been running far below their potential. Kadam alleged that delays in recruitment, poor contractual terms for doctors and a lack of accountability among senior officials have crippled the healthcare system.
The ex-corporator noted that Pune’s poor and middle-class families heavily rely on civic hospitals, as private healthcare is unaffordable for many.
“Keeping pediatric ICUs shut due to a lack of doctors is unacceptable. This is not just administrative negligence, it’s a matter of public health and children’s safety,” she said.
Kadam has urged the PMC Commissioner to immediately conduct an audit of available resources and medical equipment, appoint qualified doctors and technicians on priority, and make the PICU facilities fully operational again.
She also appealed that the upcoming civic elections should make “healthcare improvement” a central issue.
“The health of Pune’s children and citizens must come first. It’s time every political party and civic leader is held accountable for the state of our public hospitals,” she added.
Activists slam PMC
Health activist Deepak Jadhav has come down heavily on the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). He called the civic body’s claim that “doctors are not available” ridiculous and unacceptable.
Jadhav said it was ironic that a city like Pune, home to reputed medical colleges and hospitals, was citing a lack of doctors. “Every year, hundreds of new doctors pass out from medical colleges. Many willingly work in remote and challenging areas like Melghat and Gadchiroli. At such a time, saying that doctors aren’t available in Pune sounds absurd,” he said.
He also accused senior health officials of the PMC of deliberately neglecting civic hospitals. “For years, officers have avoided expanding health services to escape responsibility. This has been a conscious decision,” he added.
According to Jadhav, both the Municipal Commissioner and the Additional Commissioner have failed to take the matter seriously. “The lack of political will and vested interests has crippled the city’s health system. It’s time citizens ask tough questions to political parties when they come seeking votes for the upcoming civic elections,” he said.
Dr Kishore Khilare of the Jan Arogya Abhiyan (JAA), a coalition of NGOs and healthcare professionals advocating patients’ rights and improvement in public healthcare in the state, said, "The real issue is that advertisements for permanent posts haven’t been released yet. Kamla Nehru Hospital is linked to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College, but so far, no openings have been announced for regular posts. Only low-paid, contractual positions are being offered, which naturally fail to attract qualified doctors. If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, their medical college and Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital released advertisements for permanent posts and received a very good response. Their paediatric, NICU, and PICU wards are now working at full strength. Honestly, it’s not just Sassoon Hospital that should be raising this concern. People themselves should demand proper recruitment and functioning of these essential health services.”
Proposal sent
Meanwhile, Dr Kalpana Baliwant, deputy health officer, PMC, said, "We have sent a proposal to recruit more paediatricians to run the civic hospitals more efficiently. We need at least nine paediatricians. The lack of paediatricians is adding to the crisis."
