Bhubaneswar: Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Monday informed the assembly that more than 74 per cent of the specialist doctor posts are lying vacant in government-run community health centres (CHCs) across the state. Of 1,500 sanctioned specialist doctor posts in 375 CHCs, only 386 medics are in position, Mahaling said in his reply to a question by BJD MLA Prasanta Behera.
Only one specialist doctor is in a CHC in Deogarh against the sanctioned posts of 16, while only three specialists are in service in the CHCs of tribal-majority Rayagada district, for which 44 such posts have been created, he said. Mahaling informed the Assembly that 88 specialist posts have remained vacant in CHCs in the Mayurbhanj district while the vacancy was 87 in Ganjam, 66 in Sundargarh, 55 in Koraput and 53 in Bargarh.
Altogether, 5,014 (64 per cent) of 7,806 sanctioned doctor posts are also lying vacant in the community health centres across Odisha, he said. As per the health minister’s statement, 450 doctor posts have remained vacant in CHCs in Ganjam district, followed by Mayurbhanj where 309 such posts are lying vacant in these healthcare facilities, which are located in rural pockets of the state.
More than 200 doctor posts are also lying vacant in the CHCs of Balasore, Bargarh, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Koraput, Puri and Sundargarh, the statement said. In total, out of 9,306 sanctioned doctor posts, 6,128 posts (66 per cent) are lying vacant in the community health centres across Odisha, he said.
Steps are being taken to fill up vacant posts through selection by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), departmental promotion, and contractual appointment, and the vacant specialist doctor posts by recruiting medics who are returning after completing post-graduation, the minister said.
