Acute Doctor Shortage: Odisha to recruit MBBS graduates from other states to join service

The state government will amend the Odisha Medical and Health Services Rules (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) in order to allow the medical graduates heralding from other states to participate in the recruitment process.

The Odisha Medical and Health Services (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 2020 has been previously approved by the state cabinet.

Previously, only those doctors were eligible for recruitment in state-run hospitals who were residents of Odisha and had the knowledge of speaking, writing, and reading Odia; Moreover, only the medical graduates who had pursued their middle schooling from Odisha and had Odia as a language subject or passed matriculation or equivalent with Odia as a medium of examination in the non-language subject, were considered eligible. However, significant changes have been made to the rules now.

As per a recent media report by The New Indian Express, currently, there are many posts including 2,452 posts for doctors, 82 for dental surgeons, and 94 for assistant professors, that are lying vacant in the state. So the state government has planned a massive recruitment drive to fill the gap.

Last year there were 3278 vacant posts for healthcare professionals; however, only 1403 doctors were recruited which caused a scarcity of trained health professionals in the state, and subsequently, the workforce has been a challenge for the state especially during the pandemic.

Hence, the government has decided to allow doctors from other states also to be recruited in Odisha as well.

Earlier, the eligible doctors available in other states outside Odisha were not entitled to get recruitment in OMHS Cadre posts through the recruitment by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC). But now, with the amendment of the Odisha Medical & Health Services rules, the MBBS graduates from other states will have to register their name in the Odisha Council of Medical Registration system established under section 3 of the Odisha Medical Registration Act, 1961 before the issue of the appointment order.

Moreover, if a candidate has not taken Odia as a language subject during his or her Middle School Examination, they shall be allowed to pass the examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha within Four years of joining the service. Hence, eligible doctors available in other states outside Odisha will be able to join under the OMHS cadre, the newsroom has earlier reported.

Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra that the state cabinet has previously approved the proposal of amendment. He further told The New Indian Express, " "The Odisha Medical and Health Services (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 2020 will be applicable for the planned recruitment drive and the OPSC has accordingly been recommended to issue the job notification."