Specialist Vacancies and Overworked Medical Staff Add to Crisis
Bhubaneswar: Odisha is grappling with a severe shortage of doctors, with 5,822 medical positions remaining vacant across the state, including 55% of specialist roles, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling informed the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.
The crisis is particularly severe in district headquarters hospitals (DHHs), where overburdened medical staff struggle to meet patient demand.
District-Wise Shortages
- Jagatsinghpur: Only 72 doctors serve against an approved strength of 140, with key specialist positions in anesthesia, cardiology, and pulmonology remaining unfilled.
- Nayagarh: Out of 82 sanctioned specialist posts, only three are occupied.
- Statewide: 37% of sanctioned doctor positions are vacant, with 196 doctors on extended leave, worsening the shortage.
“Doctors are working beyond their usual shifts, some even handling double shifts to manage patient load,” said Jagatsinghpur CDMO Satrughna Das.
Recruitment Challenges and OMSA Criticism
The Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) has criticized the state government’s recruitment process, calling it ineffective.
- A recent advertisement for 5,248 posts reserved 4,101 positions for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.
- OMSA President Dr. Kishore Mishra expressed concerns, stating that the availability of SC/ST candidates in such large numbers is uncertain, leading to prolonged vacancies.
“Out of 5,000 vacancies, only 440 are for general category candidates and around 640 for OBCs. More than 4,000 positions require SC/ST candidates, but there aren’t enough eligible applicants to fill them,” Mishra stated.
The state government has assured corrective measures to streamline recruitment, but the ongoing doctor shortage continues to strain Odisha’s healthcare system.
