India, April 18 -- Officials said that authorities are yet to fill vacant posts despite the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH), run by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), being forced to shut down its ventilators due to shortage of doctors since last four months.

"The vacant posts in the health department are to be filled by the civic general administration department. We have written several times to the department requesting urgent appointments. A fresh letter was sent on Thursday. Senior officials said it will take time to fill these posts," said Dr Nina Borade, health chief, PMC.

The non-operation of the only civic-run facility equipped with neonatal ventilators that handles critical cases has caused se...