LUCKNOW, Dec. 29 -- Even as King George's Medical University (KGMU) had assured that long-pending vacancies would be advertised by December, its prosthetic and orthotic unit of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation (DPMR) has been struggling for the past six years with a severe shortage of skilled staff, raising concerns over the functioning of one of North India's key limb rehabilitation centres, officials said.

Functioning from the Rehabilitation and Artificial Limb Centre (RALC) building under the DPMR, the unit has been operating with only one permanent employee for the last six years. Eight sanctioned technical posts, including senior prosthetist, prosthetic master, prosthetic supervisor, orthotic supervisor, leathe...