BENGALURU: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday stated that, after eight years, the transfer of all staff and employees in the Department of Health and Family Welfare has been conducted transparently through counselling. Addressing the media, he said that specialist doctors have been assigned to all taluk hospitals through this process.
The transfer exercise, held from June 19 to July 3, involved the relocation of 5,676 officers and staff. Of these, 21 belong to Group A, 15 to Group B, 4,046 to Group C, and 680 to Group D, Rao said.
Rao said, “During this counselling, priority was given to filling long-vacant posts in the maternal and child care departments at taluk hospitals. The transfer process was conducted in a way that ensures the presence of at least one gynaecologist, anaesthesiologist, and paediatrician at each taluk hospital. In addition, steps are being taken to appoint two gynaecologists, paediatricians, and anaesthesiologists in every taluk hospital. Approval for this will be sought in the next cabinet meeting.”
He said that with this, doctors will be available in taluk hospitals 24 hours a day. He further stated that there is a shortage of 2,000 MBBS doctors and 185 specialist doctors, and steps are being taken to fill these vacancies.