Over 3000 vacant doctor posts in hospitals, Govt informs Odisha HC

Cuttack: While taking up a motion about vacancies in government institutions, Odisha High Court has observed that there are still almost 2,900 vacant posts for doctors in the different government hospitals, including medical college hospitals.

The high court was informed by the state government during a hearing about the measures taken by the state government to fill up vacant posts of doctors in the state. The court has been informed that both under the Odisha Medical and Health Services (OMHS) cadre and the Odisha Medical Education Service (OMES) cadre there remain many vacancies.

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This came after a 72-year-old lawyer and social activist filed a PIL with the HC asking for its intervention in filling all approved positions at district government hospitals and creating new positions as needed, reports the Daily.

On February 15, the HC requested a report on the steps that have already been implemented to fill all sanctioned positions in district government hospitals within six months and to create new positions as needed within a year.

According to an affidavit signed by Shalini Pandit, commissioner/secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, 8,213 medical officers are employed in various government hospitals under the Odisha Medical and Health Services (OMHS) cadre though it has an approved strength of 10,774 medical officers.

According to the posts under the Odisha Medical Education Service (OMES) cadre, all the government medical colleges, 1,232 medical officers—assistant professors, associate professors, and professors—are in place despite a sanctioned strength of 1,571. 

As per a recent media report by Times of India, Pandit claimed that 5,000 Group A (Junior branch) medical officer positions have been authorised as per the government's instructions. "Requisites for filling up the said posts will be submitted to the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) after completion of posting of the newly recruited medical officers," Pandit said, adding, "The whole process of recruitment is targeted to be completed by October 2023."