Over 3,500 doctor positions vacant in Balochistan health department

QUETTA: A startling revelation has surfaced regarding the severe shortage of healthcare professionals in Balochistan, where 3,530 positions for doctors remain vacant within the provincial health department. Official documents highlight a critical shortfall of specialist doctors, with 420 of the 600 sanctioned posts lying vacant. Currently, only 180 specialist doctors are serving across the entire province. Similarly, 351 nursing positions out of 1,525 approved posts are unfilled, exacerbating the healthcare crisis.
The data reveals alarming gaps in staffing across various cadres. Out of a total of 5,556 positions for doctors, lady doctors, and dental surgeons, 2,178 remain vacant. This includes 745 unfilled posts in the teaching cadre, 187 vacancies in the health management cadre, and 420 vacant positions in the specialist cadre. The absence of essential medical staff has resulted in the closure of 489 out of 1,251 Basic Health Units (BHUs) across the province, leaving only 762 functional. This situation poses significant challenges for the already fragile healthcare infrastructure in Balochistan, particularly in rural areas where access to medical services is limited.
Adding to the crisis, there is a notable trend of doctors preferring postings in Quetta rather than serving in rural areas. This has led to an overstaffing issue in the province’s major hospitals. The Civil Hospital Quetta and Bolan Medical Complex (BMC) have a combined 236 surplus doctors—126 in Civil Hospital and 110 in BMC—above their sanctioned positions in grades 17 to 20. The reluctance of healthcare professionals to serve in remote areas has intensified the disparity between rural and urban healthcare facilities.
The dire shortage of doctors and nurses in Balochistan underscores the urgent need for reforms in healthcare staffing and management. Strategies such as incentivizing rural postings, addressing administrative inefficiencies, and ensuring equitable distribution of resources are vital to bridging this gap. Without immediate action, the health system in Balochistan risks further deterioration, leaving the most vulnerable populations without access to basic medical care.