Concern over vacant doctors’ posts in Kalahandi district

The Statesman, Aug 20, 2008
Statesman News Service

BHAWANIPATNA, Aug. 19: Chief administrator Mrs Rajalakshmi expressed concern over doctors’ posts lying vacant in Kalahandi district, while chairing a review meeting here yesterday.
As many as 59 posts of doctors are lying vacant in Kalahandi, department sources said. The vacant posts include four posts of senior class-I specialists, nine junior class-I specialists, 15 class-II specialists, 25 assistant surgeons and five posts of assistant surgeons on consolidated pay.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the large number of doctors either not joining the posts or remaining on unauthorised leave for long duration, Mrs Rajalakshmi said that the health services in the district are getting severely affected because of this negligence.
“What is even more distressing is that as many as 11 doctors went on leave the very next day after they joined and have remained on unauthorised leave since 2004 and 2007,” she said.
“Five other doctors who were posted never joined the district. There is no information with the CDMO about these erring doctors. The service books and last pay certificates remain with the directorate of health as it is the appointing authority. It seems likely that the doctors are manipulating the senior officials to regularise their unauthorised leave,” she felt.
The shortage of doctors and trained personnel to operate the equipment in the regional diagnostic centre is causing great inconvenience to the patients. “Despite the presence of proper infrastructure the diagnostic centre is not fully functional because of the shortage of manpower. The absence of doctors and paramedical staff may lead to an uncontrollable outbreak of epidemic,” she opined.
“The directorate of health has been apprised of the situation by the district health officer and the district collector. A letter was sent by the collector in June stating the present scenario. But there has been no response yet,” she rued. “I will inform the chief secretary and health secretary about the situation in the district and discuss with them to sort out the problem soon,” she added. Praising the work of paramedical staff in the absence of the doctors Mrs Rajalakshmi said: “In this situation of shortage of doctors the field level functionaries like ANM, male health workers, and midwives are doing a commendable job, however sadly they face a regular trouble of irregular payment of their salary. This problem will also be brought to the notice of senior officials.”
“To improve health service in the inaccessible areas in the periphery of Indravati project, eight power boats including one ambulance boat has been arranged from the fund received from Orissa Power Generation Corporation. The boats will soon be available,” she said.