Assam Medical College Faces Severe Staffing Shortages Amid Rising Patient Demand
Staffing Crisis at Assam Medical College and Hospital
File image of Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, Sep 10: The Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh is currently facing a significant shortage of medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and support staff, which is straining the operations of this vital healthcare facility.
A senior official revealed that out of the 434 authorized doctor positions at AMCH, 121 remain unfilled. This means that nearly 28% of the sanctioned medical roles are vacant, with only 313 doctors currently employed.
The staffing deficit spans across 23 departments, and there is a notable lack of junior doctors, which is further burdening the existing medical teams.
“The Health Department is aware of the staffing issues, yet no measures have been implemented to resolve them. Additionally, there is a shortage of advanced medical equipment,” the official stated.
The situation has worsened as many doctors and staff have been reassigned to newly opened medical colleges in districts like Tinsukia and Lakhimpur, leaving their previous positions unfilled.
AMCH was transformed from a medical school to a medical college in 1947, initially equipped with around 900 beds and a similar number of nursing staff. Despite the hospital's bed capacity more than doubling since then, the number of nurses has remained largely unchanged.
Currently, the hospital has approximately 449 nurses catering to nearly 2,000 beds. An official noted, “If a nurse is responsible for 100 to 150 patients, the quality of care provided will inevitably suffer.”
Moreover, AMCH is experiencing vacancies in other roles, including Grade IV staff. The combined lack of medical, nursing, and support personnel is intensifying the pressure on the current workforce, especially given the consistently high number of daily patients.
Diagnostic services are also under strain, with MRI and CT scan machines reportedly breaking down frequently. When these machines are out of service, patients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds may have to resort to private diagnostic centers, where the costs can be exorbitant.
These staffing and equipment shortages persist even as Assam continues to expand its medical college network and healthcare infrastructure. For patients relying on AMCH for affordable tertiary care, the lack of manpower and diagnostic resources remains a pressing issue.
AMCH serves as a crucial referral center for Upper Assam, catering to patients from various districts, as well as from neighboring Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.