Over 50% of SMS Hospital Staff Deployed for Census; Medical Education Commissioner Warns of Potential Crisis

Jaipur: Critical medical services at Rajasthan’s largest government facility, Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, are on the verge of a shutdown. Panic has gripped the hospital administration after 38 out of its 65 ministerial staff members were ordered to report for national census duty. The move has prompted the Medical Education Commissioner to intervene, urging the District Collector to cancel these deployments immediately to avoid a public health crisis.

Administration in Turmoil

Currently, SMS Hospital operates with a lean team of 65 ministerial employees who manage the hospital’s administrative backbone, including file processing, official directives, and essential service management. On April 13, the Deputy Commissioner of the Adarsh Nagar Zone (acting as the Census Officer) issued orders deploying 38 of these employees—nearly 58% of the total strength—for census work.

Essential Services at Risk

The Hospital Superintendent has raised an alarm, stating that the absence of more than half the staff would lead to a total collapse of several vital services. The administration highlighted that the following sectors would be worst hit:

• Government Health Schemes: Management of RGHS, Maa Yojna, and Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY).
• Medical Boards: Issuance of disability certificates and medical boards for legal cases.
• VVIP Protocols: Coordination for high-profile visits and official inspections.
• Legal Compliance: Health examinations and reports required under various court orders.

Commissioner’s Intervention

Following a recommendation from the Hospital Superintendent, the Commissioner of Medical Education has written a formal letter to the Jaipur Collector. The Commissioner requested the immediate release of these 38 employees from census duties, emphasizing that patient care should take precedence. Furthermore, the letter suggested that hospital IT, accounts, and ministerial staff should be permanently exempted from census or election duties in the future to ensure uninterrupted medical services.

Violation of 2018 Directives?

The current crisis has also brought a 2018 government order back into focus. On October 29, 2018, the then Chief Secretary had explicitly instructed that hospital staff involved in accounting and technical roles should not be assigned to non-medical tasks like elections or census work. Despite these standing orders, the Municipal Corporation’s recent directive has placed the city’s primary healthcare hub in a precarious position.