Bengaluru: Bengaluru’s leading government hospitals, including Victoria Hospital and Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, are facing a critical shortage of medical staff, resulting in mounting pressure on existing personnel and growing concern among patients. Every day, these hospitals receive between 500 to 800 patients seeking treatment. However, the lack of adequate doctors, nurses, and technical staff is making it increasingly difficult to provide timely and quality care.

Despite the scale of the crisis, the Medical Education Department has not moved swiftly to address the staff shortage. At Victoria Hospital, about 40 percent of positions remain vacant, while Bowring faces a shortfall ranging between 20 to 40 percent. Repeated requests for recruitment have reportedly gone unanswered, and the issue has persisted for over a year. The staff crunch is particularly severe during peak hours, where patients are seen waiting long hours, some without receiving necessary medical attention. The burden has intensified for the limited staff on duty, affecting the efficiency and morale of healthcare workers. Patients visiting these institutions with the hope of availing government healthcare benefits are instead left frustrated due to the lack of personnel. As per figures from the Medical Education Department, government medical college hospitals currently have over 11,000 vacancies. Super-specialty hospitals face an additional shortage of around 3,000 posts. Yet, no definitive action has been taken by the government to fill these posts, causing distress to both patients and the overburdened medical workforce.

The crisis has sparked calls from medical experts and the public for immediate intervention. Without urgent recruitment and reinforcement of hospital staffing, Bengaluru’s public healthcare system risks further decline, with patient care and outcomes severely compromised.