Health dept invites applications for appointment of hospital superintendents twice in 8 months, but holds no interviews

Jaipur: Over the past eight months, Rajasthan's medical education department has called for application for appointment as hospital superintendent, but not conduct a single interview.

Currently, these healthcare facilities operate under doctors whose tenures have concluded or who serve as interim superintendents pending permanent appointments.

A senior medical education official stated, "It does not matter who is running the institute, but they should work properly."

Several institutions, including SMS Hospital, the super specialty hospital, JK Lon Hospital, Gangori Hospital, Kanwatia Hospital, Sethi Colony Hospital, Satellite Hospital at Bani Park, and State Cancer Institute, are operating with superintendents whose official terms have expired.

An applicant told TOI about the limited response to these vacancies. "When the medical education department invited the application, just 12 applied for eight posts of superintendents, and the next time they invited the application, just 13 applied for the eight posts," he said.

The medical education department recognised this lack of substantial interest and decided to forgo interviews. "If interviews are conducted by a committee headed by the chief secretary, the govt will be able to select more efficient administrators for running the hospitals," the applicant said.

The candidates added that whilst superintendents face accountability for various issues including power failures, fire incidents, water, and cleanliness matters, these services actually fall under different departments' jurisdictions.

"For each problem in the hospital, the superintendent is made responsible," he said.

The position of superintendent carries significant responsibilities. The role presents numerous challenges, including managing doctor strikes, handling patient-doctor disputes, addressing scams, maintaining hospital conditions, dealing with infrastructure issues such as wall seepage, and various other administrative duties.