BHUBANESWAR: At least 2000 posts of doctor are vacant in Government hospitals in the State which points towards the defunct health services in remote areas.
The vacancy includes 500 posts of doctor in Government medical colleges and hospitals. Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak informed this in a written reply to a question from Dilip Ray (BJP) in the Assembly.
The Minister admitted that 297 posts of professor, associate professor and assistant professor are vacant in SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, Veer Surendra Sai Medical College and Hospital, Burla and Maharaja Krushnachandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur.
The situation is no better in Government homeopathic and ayurvedic colleges in the State. While 114 posts of doctor are vacant in homeopathic colleges, the number of vacancies in ayurvedic colleges is 79. These vacant posts are in ranks of professor, associate professor and assistant professor, he said.
The Minister said that Central Council for Homeopathy (CCH) had stopped admission to PG courses in Dr Abhinna Chandra Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Bhubaneswar for 2013-14 academic session. The college is the only facility for PG courses in Homeopathy in Odisha. Though the CCH had stopped admission to PG courses, it is yet to be upgraded in three years. Similarly, posts of 1016 allopathic, 187 ayurvedic and 293 homeopathic doctors are vacant in other Government hospitals of the State.