India, Nov. 21 -- A shortage of super-speciality doctors at Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) - one of Maharashtra's busiest government-run tertiary care centres - is affecting hundreds of patients, who, after travelling long distances every day for advanced medical treatment, are being sent back without expert consultation, forcing them to look for expensive private care or delay essential treatment.

SGH sees around 2,500 to 3,000 outpatient department (OPD) patients daily and performs nearly 500 major and minor procedures. It serves as a referral centre for Pune, Solapur, Satara and other districts. The shortage of super-speciality doctors at SGH means that most vulnerable patients are left without the advanced care that they urgently nee...