A severe shortage of trained anaesthetists has crippled major in Pakistan’s Lahore hospitals, forcing mass surgery cancellations and exposing administrative lapses as patients face renewed delays despite government claims of ongoing recruitment efforts.
A critical shortage of trained anaesthetists has thrown Lahore’s major public hospitals into turmoil, leading to widespread postponements and cancellations of surgeries. The disruption has hit prominent institutions such as Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Services Hospital particularly hard, according to reporting by The Express Tribune.
The crisis erupted after dozens of anaesthetists hired on temporary contracts were let go once their extended six-month terms lapsed. Their sudden exit has left operating rooms across these hospitals without the specialists needed to carry out most procedures.
With anaesthesia teams stripped to a minimum, hospitals have been forced to limit surgeries to cases where lives are at immediate risk. Administrators said they had repeatedly cautioned the Punjab Health Department that releasing locum doctors before appointing permanent staff would leave surgical units dangerously understaffed. Despite their warnings, no action was taken, pushing routine surgical care to the brink of collapse.
Surgeons across the province say elective procedures have now been halted entirely, while emergency units are struggling to cope with a surge in cases. Patients who have spent months—some more than a year, waiting for non-urgent operations are once again facing uncertainty.
At Mayo Hospital, a 62-year-old woman scheduled for gallbladder surgery was told her procedure would not go ahead because no anaesthetist was available, illustrating the human cost of the staffing crisis.
Hospital management stated that repeated pleas to the provincial health department over the past several months had gone unanswered. No emergency appointments or contract renewals were made to prevent the crisis, as cited by The Express Tribune.
Punjab Health Department spokesperson Syed Hammad Raza said the government had launched a large-scale recruitment campaign for medical staff, including anaesthesia specialists.
He maintained that the administration had hired doctors during its tenure and insisted that ”doctor shortages are no longer an issue,” as reported by The Express Tribune.
With inputs from agencies
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