Sops fail to motivate doctors

The New Indian Express, April 17, 2007

BHUBANESWAR: The additional financial incentives announced by the Government for doctors working in tribal-dominated backward districts has failed to motivate them to take up rural posting.

And rural health services particularly in tribal-dominated districts continue to be plagued by shortage of doctors and other paramedical staff.

According to the latest estimate, 382 doctor posts are lying vacant in 14 districts, including the 11 districts (eight KBK districts) where doctors are given special allowance. The other three districts are Gajapati, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh.

While 173 assistant surgeon posts are lying vacant, there is shortage of 101 class-II specialists, 82 class-I specialists and 26 senior class-I specialists in these districts.

Shortage of doctors has hit the health services most in backward districts of Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput and Naxal-infested Malkangiri. As against a sanctioned strength of 92 assistant surgeons in Kandhamal district, 22 posts are lying vacant. The remaining three districts have a shortage of 20 assistant surgeons each.

The sanctioned strength for Malkangiri district is 55 while 35 doctors are in place. Delivery of health services in the district has crumbled and people are dying of common diseases like diarrhoea which recently claimed several lives, sources said.

While the tribal-dominated southern Orissa districts are malaria endemic zone, 233 posts of women malaria preventive health worker are lying vacant.

The issue was raised at the recent meeting of the Tribes Advisory Council chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Last year, the State Government introduced an incentive scheme to encourage doctors to take up posting in the KBK districts and three non-KBK districts of Boudh, Kandhamal and Gajapati.

A special allowance of Rs 2,000 a month was given to each assistant surgeon and class-II specialist posted in district headquarters hospitals and Rs 5,000 a month to the two categories of doctors posted in periphery.

Additional incentive of Rs 2,000 a month was given to contractual doctors working in these districts and tribal blocks of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts.

Recently, the Government announced a special package for the doctors including enhancement of basic salary. The special incentive for doctors working in KBK districts was increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 a month and those working in district headquarters will get a special allowance of Rs 4,000 a month against Rs 2,000 given earlier.