Hire Emergency / Critical Care Veterinarian
When a pet emergency strikes, every second counts. For veterinary hospitals and clinics, having access to a skilled emergency or critical care veterinarian can be the difference between stabilizing a patient and losing them. These specialists are trained to work in high-pressure situations, from trauma cases to life-threatening illnesses, ensuring that patients receive rapid, evidence-based care. Employers recognize the importance of emergency veterinarians not just for clinical outcomes but also for sustaining operations, meeting client expectations, and safeguarding revenue. A clinic without sufficient emergency coverage risks long wait times, referral leakage, and burnout among existing staff.
Pulivarthi Group understands these challenges deeply. As a veterinary ER staffing agency, we deliver emergency veterinarian staffing and critical care veterinarian staffing solutions that are tailored to your hospital’s unique needs. Whether you need locum emergency veterinarian staffing for overnight coverage, temporary emergency vet staffing during peak demand, or a permanent critical care DVM to expand your service line, our pre-vetted candidates are ready to step in. With access to a pipeline of qualified professionals, we ensure you never compromise on patient care, client trust, or operational stability.
Why hire an Emergency / Critical Care Veterinarian
Adding an emergency or critical care veterinarian to your team is more than just filling a schedule—it’s a transformative investment in your hospital’s ability to save lives and serve clients around the clock. Emergency veterinarians provide immediate stabilization during crises such as trauma, shock, GDV, blocked cats, toxicities, and respiratory failure. Their presence allows for faster diagnoses, reduced referral leakage, and enhanced patient survival rates.
From a business standpoint, the decision to hire an emergency veterinarian directly impacts your hospital’s revenue. Every case retained in-house represents thousands of dollars in diagnostics, treatments, ICU stays, and procedures that would otherwise be lost to referral centers. Beyond financials, clients place extraordinary value on the hospitals that can provide emergency care. When a pet’s life is saved in your ER, families rarely forget—and this loyalty translates into lifetime client value, five-star reviews, and strong word-of-mouth referrals.
Additionally, ER veterinarians protect your broader team. Without dedicated emergency staff, general practitioners are forced to absorb urgent cases, often extending hours and compromising their focus on preventive medicine. This imbalance contributes to fatigue, charting backlogs, and eventual turnover. By bringing in an ER or ICU-trained veterinarian, you create a healthier workload distribution that benefits staff, patients, and clients alike.
Benefits of hiring an Emergency / Critical Care Veterinarian include:
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Around-the-clock readiness for urgent cases.
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Faster stabilization and improved survival rates.
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Retention of high-revenue emergency cases.
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Reduced overtime and burnout among staff.
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Strengthened client trust and long-term loyalty.
Types of Emergency / Critical Care Veterinarian Roles
Emergency and critical care roles vary depending on the hospital’s case volume, service model, and strategic goals. Understanding the differences allows you to hire the right type of veterinarian for your needs. For general hospitals, an emergency generalist is often sufficient—these doctors handle stabilization, diagnostics, and urgent procedures, from toxicities to blocked cats. Their role is to ensure no emergency patient is turned away or delayed.
For referral centers or specialty hospitals, a critical care specialist (DACVECC) provides advanced expertise. These veterinarians manage ventilator cases, multi-organ dysfunction, and complex ICU protocols. They work closely with anesthesiologists, surgeons, and internal medicine specialists to deliver high-level care that generalists cannot.
Many hospitals rely on locum emergency veterinarians for flexible coverage. These relief doctors step in during holidays, weekends, or staff leave, providing rapid stabilization without long-term commitments. Another role type is the hospitalist or ER-ICU hybrid, a veterinarian who bridges overnight inpatient monitoring with emergency triage, ensuring continuity of care. Finally, telehealth emergency veterinarians are gaining traction. They handle triage, counseling, and post-op checks virtually, smoothing schedules and keeping clients connected even outside hospital walls.
The primary types of emergency and critical care veterinary roles include:
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Emergency Generalist
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Critical Care Specialist (DACVECC)
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Relief / Locum Emergency Veterinarian
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Hospitalist or ER-ICU Hybrid
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Emergency Telehealth Veterinarian
Pulivarthi Group Emergency & Critical Care Staffing Services
Finding qualified emergency veterinarians is a challenge in today’s competitive market. High stress levels, long hours, and limited training pipelines make ER staffing one of the hardest areas for employers to fill. Pulivarthi Group addresses this challenge with a flexible suite of emergency and critical care veterinarian staffing solutions designed to match your operational needs.
If your hospital requires long-term stability, our permanent emergency veterinarian staffing connects you with candidates who align not just with your caseload but also with your culture and growth strategy. For practices facing seasonal spikes or backlog projects, our temporary emergency vet staffing offers reliable short-term solutions without overextending budgets. We also specialize in locum emergency veterinarian staffing, ideal for last-minute vacancies, sudden staff absences, or expanded service hours.
For employers seeking maximum flexibility, contingent emergency veterinarian staffing allows you to scale up or down based on demand, ensuring cost predictability. In addition, we provide critical care veterinary technician staffing—because ER veterinarians cannot succeed without skilled ICU support staff trained in ventilator management, anesthesia monitoring, and emergency protocols. Finally, our executive and senior ER recruitment service discreetly identifies and places ER leads, ICU directors, and service-line builders who can transform your hospital’s long-term capabilities.
Our emergency & critical care staffing services include:
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Permanent Emergency Veterinarian Staffing
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Locum Emergency Veterinarian Staffing
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Contingent Emergency Veterinarian Staffing
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Critical Care Veterinary Technician Staffing
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Executive & Senior ER Recruitment
Where Employers Find Emergency Veterinarians
The path to finding ER veterinarians varies, but each option comes with advantages and tradeoffs. Many employers begin with general job boards, which offer wide reach but low efficiency. The result is a flood of applicants, many of whom lack the specific ER or ICU background required. Veterinary schools and residencies are another option, particularly for bringing in new grads or interns. However, these candidates often require significant mentorship and cannot immediately handle full ER caseloads.
Professional associations such as the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS) or the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) are excellent channels for identifying specialists, but they tend to yield slower results. That’s why many hospitals turn to a specialized veterinary ER staffing agency like Pulivarthi Group. Unlike passive job postings, we proactively source candidates, screen them for clinical and communication fit, and deliver shortlists instead of long lists. We remain involved through interviews, credentialing, and onboarding, compressing vacancy windows and reducing lost revenue.
Top channels for finding emergency veterinarians include:
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Specialized staffing partners (Pulivarthi Group)
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Veterinary schools and residencies
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Professional networks and associations
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General job boards
Hiring Challenges and Solutions
Recruiting emergency veterinarians comes with unique challenges. Traditional interviews often fail to capture hands-on clinical skill, which is essential in high-stakes cases. Employers can mitigate this by implementing working interviews, reviewing case logs, and using Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to replicate real scenarios.
Culture fit is another concern. In fast-paced ER environments, poor alignment leads to miscommunication, charting delays, or technician conflict. Employers should use values-based interviews, peer panels, and shadow shifts to gauge collaboration under pressure. Turnover risk is significant in emergency medicine due to stress and irregular hours. To prevent this, employers should enforce caseload caps, provide predictable scheduling, and invest in growth pathways.
Finally, the tight labor market requires hospitals to act quickly and decisively. Top ER veterinarians receive multiple offers, so hiring processes must be streamlined, with compensation packages that reflect current market realities. Continuous education is also critical, as ER veterinarians must stay up to date with best practices in anesthesia, ventilator management, and critical protocols.
Major hiring challenges include:
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Assessing clinical skill effectively
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Aligning on culture and communication
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Mitigating turnover risks
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Competing in a tight labor market
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Keeping skills current through CE
Qualifications and Licensing Checklist
To ensure compliance and top-tier patient care, hospitals should verify that all emergency veterinarians meet specific qualifications. At the most basic level, candidates must hold a DVM or VMD from an accredited program and have passed the NAVLE exam. An active state license is required in the practicing region, with reciprocity timelines confirmed for locum or traveling roles.
Handling controlled substances is common in ER settings, making DEA registration essential. For hospitals offering international health certificates or food animal services, USDA Category II accreditation may also be necessary. Beyond legal requirements, professional liability coverage and OSHA-compliant safety training are critical for minimizing institutional risk. For advanced roles, board certification (DACVECC) or residency training in emergency and critical care sets candidates apart and ensures readiness for complex ICU cases.
Typical qualification checklist includes:
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DVM/VMD and NAVLE passage
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Active state veterinary license
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DEA registration for controlled substances
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USDA Category II accreditation (if required)
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Professional liability insurance
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CE compliance and OSHA training
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DACVECC certification (preferred for specialists)
Sample Emergency Veterinarian Job Description
Creating a clear, detailed job description is essential when looking to hire an emergency veterinarian. A strong description not only communicates the responsibilities and qualifications but also attracts candidates who align with your hospital’s needs and culture. Unlike general practice roles, ER and ICU positions require resilience, adaptability, and the ability to perform under high-pressure conditions. Employers should emphasize the clinical environment, caseload expectations, and available support staff so candidates have an accurate understanding of the role.
In your posting, include a role summary that outlines the scope: delivering 24/7 emergency care, stabilizing critical cases, and collaborating with technicians and specialists. The key responsibilities should highlight triage, advanced monitoring, emergency surgeries, and clear communication with pet owners. Qualifications should list DVM/VMD, active licensure, DEA eligibility, and preference for DACVECC or ER experience. Schedule details matter too—be upfront about on-call rotations, overnight shifts, and weekend coverage. Transparency here reduces turnover risk later.
Sample Job Description Template:
Role Summary
Seeking an Emergency / Critical Care Veterinarian to provide high-quality, round-the-clock urgent care, ICU management, and emergency surgeries while working collaboratively with veterinary technicians and other specialists.
Responsibilities
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Triage and stabilize emergency cases.
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Manage ICU patients and ventilator support.
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Perform emergency procedures and surgeries.
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Communicate effectively with pet owners during crises.
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Maintain accurate medical records under time-sensitive conditions.
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Participate in CE, rounds, and hospital QA initiatives.
Qualifications
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DVM/VMD and NAVLE passage.
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Active state license and DEA registration.
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ER experience required; DACVECC preferred.
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Strong teamwork and communication skills under pressure.
Sample Interview Questions for Emergency Veterinarians
Interviewing emergency veterinarians requires a different approach than general practice. Instead of focusing solely on routine casework, employers must test how candidates perform in high-stress scenarios, communicate with anxious pet owners, and collaborate with technicians during emergencies. Structured behavioral questions paired with clinical hypotheticals are highly effective for evaluating readiness.
Start with questions about recent cases—asking candidates to walk through their thought process during a complex emergency reveals their diagnostic rigor and decision-making under stress. Next, probe anesthesia and pain management strategies, since ER veterinarians frequently manage high-risk surgeries with unstable patients. High-volume scenarios are also important; inquire about how candidates prioritize multiple emergencies simultaneously. Equally critical are communication skills—ask for examples of handling a breakdown with staff or a difficult client call. Finally, assess commitment to ongoing learning by asking which continuing education (CE) event most recently shaped their practice.
Sample interview questions include:
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Walk me through your approach to triaging a GDV patient.
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How do you prioritize when multiple emergencies arrive at once?
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What is your anesthesia protocol for unstable patients?
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How do you communicate with technicians during crash situations?
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Tell me about a conflict with a colleague and how you resolved it.
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Which CE course most influenced your ER practice in the last year?
When to Hire an Emergency Veterinarian
Recognizing the right time to expand your emergency team can prevent both clinical and financial strain. Many hospitals wait until they are overwhelmed by cases, but proactive hiring ensures smoother operations and stronger outcomes. The first sign is booking delays for urgent cases—if clients wait more than 24–48 hours for emergency appointments, you are under capacity. Another key indicator is referral leakage, where your hospital consistently transfers cases like blocked cats, GDVs, or toxicities that could be handled in-house with the right talent.
Staff well-being also signals hiring needs. Rising overtime, technician fatigue, or charting backlogs suggest your current team is stretched too thin. These conditions not only harm patient care but also accelerate turnover. If you are planning strategic expansion—such as adding 24/7 ER coverage, mobile emergency services, or an ICU unit—you’ll need to hire dedicated emergency veterinarians to build these service lines. By monitoring these triggers, you can time your recruitment before the pressure becomes unsustainable.
Key triggers for hiring include:
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Long booking delays for urgent cases.
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Frequent referral leakage of emergencies.
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Staff overtime or burnout signals.
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Plans for ER/ICU expansion or new services.
How to Evaluate Emergency Veterinarian Skills
Evaluating ER veterinarians goes beyond reviewing resumes and licenses. These roles demand real-time problem solving, procedural competence, and calm under pressure. Employers should use structured working interviews where candidates demonstrate triage, diagnostic reasoning, anesthesia setup, and communication with technicians. This hands-on evaluation provides a realistic measure of performance.
Requesting procedure portfolios or logs is another effective method. Reviewing past surgeries, recoveries, and ICU management cases reveals both experience and consistency. For more objective testing, consider OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations) that simulate emergencies like cardiac arrest or blocked cats. These scenarios highlight clinical reasoning as well as teamwork.
Team interaction is equally important. ER veterinarians must work seamlessly with technicians, so gather structured feedback from staff during shadow shifts. Finally, assess cultural alignment by discussing values and philosophy of care. A candidate who shares your hospital’s approach to client communication and patient prioritization is more likely to succeed long-term.
Effective evaluation methods include:
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Structured working interviews.
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Review of procedure portfolios/logs.
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Simulation-based OSCEs.
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Peer and technician feedback.
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Cultural fit assessments.
Compensation and Rewards for Emergency Veterinarians
Compensation in emergency veterinary medicine is highly variable, influenced by geography, shift load, and specialty training. To remain competitive, hospitals must offer packages that reflect the intensity and irregularity of ER work. Most employers provide a blend of base salary and production-based pay, ensuring stability while rewarding high caseload productivity. In many regions, ER veterinarians earn significantly higher than general practitioners due to overnight, weekend, and holiday coverage.
Beyond salary, comprehensive benefits are essential to attract and retain ER talent. Continuing education (CE) allowances, licensure reimbursement, and professional liability coverage are standard. Many hospitals also provide wellness benefits—such as mental health support or gym memberships—recognizing the stress of emergency practice. Predictable scheduling and transparent compensation bands further reduce turnover. Some employers offer sign-on bonuses and relocation assistance to remain competitive in tight markets.
Typical compensation packages include:
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Base salary plus production pay.
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Continuing education support.
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Licensure and DEA fee coverage.
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Wellness and health benefits.
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Predictable scheduling structures.
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Sign-on or relocation bonuses.
SOPs Worth Formalizing for ER and Critical Care
Emergency departments require strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to maintain consistency and safety. Unlike general practice, ER workflows must be highly standardized due to the unpredictable nature of emergencies. One of the most important areas is crash cart management—ensuring emergency drugs and supplies are always available and regularly checked. Similarly, ICU handoff protocols ensure continuity when patients transition between shifts.
Triage is another critical SOP area. Defining clear escalation ladders prevents delays in life-threatening cases. Medication management should include double-check systems for controlled substances, reconciliation logs, and regular audits to prevent errors. Finally, infection control protocols—including isolation, PPE usage, and sharps handling—must be formalized and strictly enforced. Hospitals that invest in SOPs not only improve patient outcomes but also reduce staff stress by providing structure in chaotic situations.
Essential ER/ICU SOPs include:
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Crash cart management protocols.
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ICU handoff documentation standards.
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Triage flowcharts and escalation criteria.
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Controlled substance reconciliation.
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Safety and infection control procedures.
Retention Strategies for Emergency Veterinarians
Retention is one of the biggest challenges in emergency medicine. The intensity of the work, combined with irregular hours, often drives burnout and turnover. Employers who invest in retention strategies save significantly on recruitment costs while maintaining continuity of care. One of the most effective strategies is predictable scheduling—publishing shifts in advance and capping caseloads to prevent overload.
Mentorship and career growth also play a critical role. Pairing new ER veterinarians with senior mentors eases their transition and reduces early turnover. Supporting CE and advanced certifications such as DACVECC demonstrates commitment to professional growth. Recognition is equally important—monthly case rounds, staff acknowledgments, and open feedback loops build morale in high-stress environments. Finally, ensuring adequate technician support and modern equipment helps veterinarians work at the top of their license, improving job satisfaction.
Proven retention strategies include:
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Predictable scheduling and caseload caps.
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Mentorship and growth pathways.
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CE and advanced certification funding.
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Regular recognition and feedback loops.
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Strong technician support and equipment.
How Pulivarthi Group Delivers Emergency & Critical Care Staffing
At Pulivarthi Group, we specialize in emergency veterinarian staffing because we understand the urgency. Our process begins with a detailed intake, where we align with your hospital on must-have competencies, scheduling preferences, and cultural fit. From there, we conduct targeted sourcing, engaging both active and passive ER talent through specialized networks. Every candidate undergoes rigorous screening for clinical skills, communication style, and credential compliance.
Instead of flooding you with resumes, we provide shortlists calibrated to your needs. We manage interview coordination, working trials, and peer panels to ensure candidates meet expectations. Once an offer is extended, we remain engaged with credentialing, DEA compliance, and onboarding logistics. Our support continues beyond placement—we gather feedback, track outcomes, and refine future requisitions to strengthen long-term partnerships. Whether you need permanent, temporary, locum, or executive ER staffing, Pulivarthi Group delivers with speed, reliability, and precision.
Ready to Hire an Emergency / Critical Care Veterinarian?
Your hospital’s ability to handle emergencies defines both your reputation and your revenue. By partnering with Pulivarthi Group, you gain access to a dedicated veterinary ER staffing agency that specializes in matching you with the right talent—fast. From locum emergency veterinarians to critical care specialists and ICU technicians, we provide solutions that stabilize operations, protect staff, and elevate patient outcomes.
Don’t wait until burnout, long wait times, or referral leakage hurt your practice. Move from vacancy to capacity with Pulivarthi Group. Book a meeting today and receive a tailored shortlist of candidates ready to bring their expertise to your hospital.
