“What unfolded at the DHS is symptomatic of two core issues facing Goa today: an ever-expanding unemployment crisis and a governance apparatus that is not adapting to the realities of a changing demographic and digital age. While the shortage of jobs in Goa is not a new problem, the sheer desperation reflected in this turnout must now jolt the government into serious introspection.
To begin with, the planning—or lack thereof—for the recruitment drive raises several red flags. Why was there no prior registration or digital filtering process to streamline the candidates?
Why were the logistics not tailored to accommodate such large numbers, especially when the government could have reasonably anticipated high interest in healthcare jobs in a post-pandemic era?”
The chaotic scenes witnessed recently at the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) in Campal, where over 4,000 job aspirants gathered to compete for a mere 200 contractual nursing posts, represent far more than administrative mismanagement. It is a sobering reflection of Goa’s growing unemployment crisis and the government’s troubling lack of preparedness in addressing it.
Hundreds of young men and women from across the state, some travelling from distant talukas like Pernem and Canacona, waited for hours—many since before dawn—in queues that snaked through the premises and spilled onto the surrounding streets. Reports of poor infrastructure, no proper shelter from the weather, no drinking water, and a complete absence of crowd management were common. This was not just a recruitment drive; it was an indictment of the state’s failure to treat its youth—and its healthcare workforce—with dignity and foresight.
What unfolded at the DHS is symptomatic of two core issues facing Goa today: an ever-expanding unemployment crisis and a governance apparatus that is not adapting to the realities of a changing demographic and digital age. While the shortage of jobs in Goa is not a new problem, the sheer desperation reflected in this turnout must now jolt the government into serious introspection.
To begin with, the planning—or lack thereof—for the recruitment drive raises several red flags. Why was there no prior registration or digital filtering process to streamline candidates?
Why were the logistics not tailored to accommodate such large numbers, especially when the government could have reasonably anticipated high interest in healthcare jobs in a post-pandemic era?
The fact that this was a drive to hire nurses—critical personnel in the state’s fragile health infrastructure—makes the situation even more troubling. Nursing staff are not casual job seekers. They are trained professionals vital to the functioning of hospitals, clinics, and public health initiatives. Subjecting them to humiliating and physically taxing conditions during recruitment sends the wrong message about how the state values its healthcare workers. If the state wants to attract and retain talent in healthcare, such missteps can be counterproductive and demoralising.
What is also glaring is the lack of decentralisation in the process. Goa’s geographic spread and transport challenges make it unreasonable to centralise such a large-scale event in one location. Had the recruitment been conducted taluka-wise or in district clusters over a staggered timeline, the pressure on the system—and the applicants—could have been drastically reduced. Moreover, in 2025, there is little excuse for not leveraging digital platforms for registration, shortlisting, and scheduling interviews. Other states in India have already moved to such systems with measurable success.
Beyond the logistical mess, this incident also forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth about the employment ecosystem in Goa. The state’s youth are increasingly finding themselves in a trap: qualified, willing to work, and yet chronically underemployed. Opportunities are either scarce, contractual, or too short-term to offer stability. While sectors like tourism and mining once absorbed a significant portion of the workforce, the lack of diversification in the economy has exposed vulnerabilities, particularly post-pandemic.
The government must now treat this not as a one-off embarrassment but as a policy wake-up call. It must conduct a comprehensive audit of employment trends, create a robust database of job-seeking youth, and collaborate with industries to realign education and skill training with real-world opportunities. Simultaneously, the administration needs to overhaul its recruitment methods—both to uphold fairness and to treat applicants with the basic respect they deserve.
The incident at DHS is a microcosm of larger systemic flaws. It is about more than one recruitment gone wrong; it is about a state at risk of squandering its demographic dividend. Goa’s young population is educated, energetic, and aspirational. To ignore their needs—or mishandle them through archaic and insensitive systems—is not just inefficient, it is unjust.
Now is the time for the government to reimagine how it engages with its job-seeking citizens. Because if the future workforce is left queuing in the sun, thirsty and frustrated, then the state’s long-term prospects are in jeopardy—not just for healthcare, but across all sectors.
