# Punjab turns to retired doctors as 47% specialist posts vacant 2026-10-24T09:11:10+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Punjab has invited applications for 78 consultant posts reserved exclusively for retired government medical specialists, as regular recruitment has not taken place since 2022. The state has 2,098 sanctioned posts for medical specialists, of which only about 1,000 are filled, leaving a vacancy rate of roughly 47%. The notification was issued on 19 October by the department of health and family welfare. Applications will be accepted from 2 November to 11 November, with walk-in interviews scheduled for 12 November at the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare in Chandigarh. The department has also set up a monthly interview mechanism, with walk-ins on the second Tuesday of every month. This is the second such drive, in July 2025, the health department sought 100 retired specialists. The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association has urged the government to expedite regular recruitment, saying that stop-gap arrangements are not a sustainable solution. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Nearly half of Punjab's specialist posts lie empty because the state has not conducted regular recruitment since 2022. By relying on retired doctors, the government fills urgent gaps but avoids the larger structural fix of a permanent hiring process. The health department has set up a monthly interview mechanism, which suggests it expects the shortage to persist. The real measure of progress will be whether the regular recruitment process, which the PCMSA says was initiated in August 2026, produces appointments. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Leads with vacancy figures and official notification, includes association's call for regular recruitment without endorsing either side This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Chandigarh, Dr Akhil Sarin, health department, Punjab, Punjab Civil Medical Services Association Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/punjab-turns-to-retired-doctors-as-47-specialist-posts-vacant/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/punjab-turns-to-retired-doctors-as-47-specialist-posts-vacant/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/