In an admission before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Punjab Health Department has conceded severe doctor shortages at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Sur Singh Wala in the Tarn Taran district, saying eight out of 10 sanctioned medical officer positions remain vacant, crippling essential services for thousands of rural residents.

The counter-affidavit, filed on November 7, by Dr R S Padha, Senior Medical Officer, CHC Sur Singh, responds to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by the People Welfare Society, an NGO.

In the petition, argued by Kanwar Pahul Singh, the NGO criticises the government for failing to adequately staff the CHC, resulting in emergency services being halted for several years, substandard patient care, and residents being compelled to seek treatment in dist

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