Government hospitals face shortage of doctors

BENGALURU: Government hospitals are witnessing a severe shortages of physicians, especially post Covid. With specialist doctors retiring from the Health Department, hospitals which come under it now require more doctors to provide better and quality health service to all.

Most MBBS graduates do not prefer to work in government hospitals for various reasons. Another major reason for the shortage is that private hospitals hire doctors or MBBS graduates with better pay scale. Doctors are also hesitant to serve in government hospitals in rural areas because of poor infrastructure facilities.

Moreover, the health sector has now no longer remained as a service sector, but has become a business. Multi-specialty hospitals are increasing in number and some of the doctors are migrating to other countries for jobs.

Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Randeep D said government hospitals require more doctors to provide 24/7 service.

Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Randeep said, “If we take the Indian Public Health Standards, there is a huge requirement of doctors in government hospitals. There are 400 vacancies for specialists and 150 vacancies for MBBS graduates. The number of doctors should be increased in PHCs, THCs, DHCs to provide 24/7 service. We have no orders to recruit more doctors. We are sending doctors who are serving in rural hospitals under compulsory rural service to hospitals wherever there are vacancies on a rotation basis. But we cannot compare pay scales of government and private hospitals. Doctors working in government hospitals have other advantages. The number of government doctors opting for voluntarily retirements is also very low”.