India, Sept. 28 -- Punjab's state-run healthcare system faces a shortage of medical specialists, leaving multiple districts without expert care in key disciplines, according to a recent state health department analysis. The crisis is acute in border districts, where several sub-divisional hospitals lack both radiologists and general physicians.

The shortage spans critical specialties, including radiology, psychiatry, forensic medicine, general medicine, and paediatrics. These gaps directly impair the capacity of district and sub-divisional hospitals to deliver essential services, such as diagnostic imaging, mental healthcare, medico-legal examinations, and specialised medical and pediatric care.

The health department has only 12 regular...