The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, has been struggling with a serious shortage of nursing staff for the past several years. As per a report compiled till June 2025, 383 out of the total 1,161 sanctioned nursing posts are vacant, affecting the hospital’s healthcare services.
To tackle the issue, recruitment for 324 nursing posts has been initiated, and the written examination has been conducted, results have already been declared. According to hospital authorities, counselling will soon begin based on merit, after which appointment letters will be issued.
Due to this prolonged shortage, quality of patient care has been impacted and the workload on the existing nursing staff has increased significantly. The nursing union has also raised these concerns time and again before the administration. Proposals are also being prepared to fill other vacant posts in the coming months to strengthen the hospital’s nursing services further.
According to the report, the single post of nursing superintendent is still vacant, while out of the nine assistant nursing superintendent posts, one is vacant. All 61 senior nursing officer posts are filled, but the biggest gap lies in the staff nurse/nursing officer category, where 381 out of 1,090 posts are still unfilled. Currently, only 709 staff are working, including 660 regular, 22 on daily contract (DC), and 27 through outsourcing (OS).
The nursing cadre is considered the backbone of any hospital, with nurses spending a lot of time with patients, and it is essential to maintain adequate nursing strength. The shortage at GMCH has been a long-standing issue, but recently, the administration made efforts not only to fill existing vacancies but also to create new posts. This proposal has now been approved by the Central Government, bringing major relief to the hospital.
The maximum number of new posts has been sanctioned for the trauma and emergency block, which handles the most critical cases and urgently needs skilled nursing staff. Out of these, 45 posts have been given final approval, including both senior and junior positions.
With the introduction of new PG and DM courses, the number of BSc (Nursing) seats at GMCH has increased from 35 to 60. The department had been working on this expansion for several years and has now received permission from the Indian Nursing Council. This increase provides more options to students in Chandigarh and nearby areas.
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Currently, only PGIM and GMCH offer BSc nursing courses in the city. PGI offers 90 seats for BSc, 60 for basic nursing, and 31 for MSc Nursing.
