Pune: Only 5 of 13 Paediatrician Posts Filled in PMC Hospitals, Neonatal Care Under Strain
Pune, 27th July 2026: A severe shortage of paediatricians in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) health department has increased pressure on neonatal and child healthcare services, with only five of the 13 sanctioned paediatrician posts currently filled.
The remaining eight posts are vacant, creating operational challenges in running neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) at Kamala Nehru Hospital, Sonawane Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, civic officials said.
Paediatricians play a crucial role in treating newborns requiring specialised medical care, particularly premature babies, infants with low birth weight, respiratory distress and severe infections. However, with the limited number of specialists handling responsibilities across multiple civic hospitals, the workload on existing doctors has increased significantly.
Health experts have expressed concern that the shortage could affect the quality and timely delivery of treatment to newborns and children, especially during the monsoon when cases of infectious diseases tend to rise.
The shortage comes despite repeated concerns in the past over vacancies in specialist doctor posts across the PMC’s health department. With patient footfall at civic hospitals steadily increasing, experts have stressed the need to strengthen specialist services.
Medical experts have urged the civic administration to expedite the recruitment process and fill the vacant paediatrician posts at the earliest, warning that any further delay could put additional strain on paediatric and neonatal care services in the city’s public hospitals.
