250 More To Join In Six Months; Aim Is To Give Specialized Services

Pune: The state government appointed 750 doctors, including 465 specialists, to fill up vacancies in primary health centres, rural and civil hospitals last week.

This was claimed to be the first time when the state government created 1,000 posts of specialist doctors and filled 465 posts immediately. The remaining posts of specialist doctors are likely to be filled in another six months.

"The aim is to provide specialized medical services to masses at district level. The remaining posts will be filled in the next six months," said state health minister Suresh Shetty.

The newly recruited 465 specialists include gynaecologists, paediatricians, physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, chest physicians, skin specialists, anesthetists and radiologists.

Civic hospitals in cities see tremendous rush from rural areas. "If we have highly qualified doctors in rural areas, the load on doctors at civil or district hospitals will ease," said civil surgeon Vinayak More of Audh Civil hospital

The doctors have started joining their assigned workplaces. A total of 55 doctors were recruited at state-run hospitals in Pune circle, including at the Aundh Civil Hospital.

"Three specialists, including one physician and two gynaecologists, joined us two days ago," More said.

The state health department has eight circles across the state. They are Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Nashik, Akola, and Latur.

Nashik circle, which includes Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar and Nashik, got 183 doctors. Of them, 72 are medical officers and remaining 114 are specialists.

Akola circle that comprises Yavatmal, Buldhana, Washim, Akola and Amaravati got 80 doctors – 18 medical officers, 62 specialists.

State-run hospitals in Mumbai circle that comprises Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri got 140 doctors – 86 medical officers and 54 specialists.

Latur circle with Beed, Osmanabad, Nanded and Latur got 43 specialists and 10 medical officers.

Kolhapur circle with Kolhapur, Sindhdurg, Sangli and Satara got 73 doctors – 42 specialists and 31 medical officers.

Aurangabad circle with districts Hingoli, Jalana, Parbhani and Aurangabad got 28 doctors, all of them specialists. Nagpur circle with districts Bhandara, Wardha, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Gondia and Gadchiroli got 135 new doctors. Of them, 57 are medical officers and rest 78 are specialists.

State-run hospitals in Pune circle that includes Pune and Solapur got 55 doctors – 44 specialists and 11 medical officers.

Health activists, however, are skeptical whether the doctors would dispense services and remain in hospital during the work hours.

"Visit any primary health centre or rural hospital and see how many doctors are in their seats providing healthcare to patients. Most either do not report to work and those who report are not seen in their functional deparments dispensing duties," said an activist.

The government had recently issued 15 days notice to 227 doctors, who failed to report for duty for over a year.