Bhubaneswar: Odisha currently has one doctor for every 1,735 people, falling short of the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one doctor per 1,000 people, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling told the Assembly Monday.
In a written reply to a question raised by BJD legislator Ranendra Pratap Swain, Mahaling stated that 4,880 posts of medical officers are lying vacant across government hospitals in the state. “Out of the 15,774 sanctioned posts for medical officers, only 10,894 are currently filled. This figure includes positions such as assistant professors and assistant surgeons,” he said.
The shortage extends beyond medical officers.
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“The state has 23 vacant posts of pharmacists out of the 2,718 sanctioned positions, 86 vacant posts of medical laboratory technicians out of 1,501 sanctioned ones, 1,594 vacant posts of nursing officers out of the 16,628 sanctioned positions, and 241 vacancies among 663 radiographer posts,” Mahaling said.
To address the shortfall, the government plans to recruit medical officers through Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), departmental promotions, contractual appointments, and district mineral foundation funding, he said, adding that specialist positions will be filled as doctors return after completing higher studies.
Mahaling said district authorities, including chief district medical officers and public health officers, have been empowered to appoint doctors on a contractual basis to meet urgent needs. The minister also noted that OPSC has been formally requested to initiate recruitment for 5,248 medical officer posts.
PNN