The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Orissa | Ten medical colleges for doc-short Orissa

The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Orissa | Ten medical colleges for doc-short Orissa

Ten medical colleges for doc-short Orissa

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Bhubaneswar, July 3: The Orissa government today decided to produce more doctors by setting up new private medical colleges. Concerned by the long-standing problem in the health sector hard hit by a shortage of physicians, the government has proposed establishing 10 private medical colleges over the next few years. State health and family welfare minister Prasanna Acharya said some of them have already started their initial project work. Amritamayee Charitable Trust has proposed to set up a medical college and hospital in Bhubaneswar. Sahajog Foundation of India, Bharat Trust, Blue Wheel Trust and Bharati Trust are also interested. AIIMS, Selvem Trust, MCL, ESC and Hitech have already started their initial preliminary work, the minister said. Against the sanctioned strength of 4,258 doctors, the state has a vacancy of 1,758. Every year, the three government medical colleges — SCB Medical College and Hospital, VSS Medical College and Hospital and MKCG Medical College and Hospital — produce 300 doctors. An additional 400 doctors are produced by the four private medical colleges in the state. Even if 700 medical graduates pass out every year, this is not enough to fill up the long-pending vacancies as a large number of young professions are keen to join the private sector with alluring financial packages. In spite of the government stipulation that doctors work for at least two years in state hospitals after completion of their course, the younger physicians prefer to find employment with other states rather rendering their service in Orissa. This has resulted in the number of vacancies ballooning, the health minister said. Orissa medicos move out of the state due to the poor salary and service conditions here. Doctors pointed out that even a senior resident in Delhi gets Rs 50,000 whereas in Orissa, the salary for a similar post is Rs 20,000. “Besides, the bureaucracy also behaves strangely with the medicos, creating an unhealthy atmosphere,” said Dr Ritesh Ray, anaesthesiologist with Hi tech Medical College and Hospital. The medical fraternity does not believe only adding 10 more colleges would solve the problem. They suggested that the government think of ways of retaining talent in the state. “Establishment of private medical colleges will not solve the problem. According to the Bhore committee recommendations, there should be one primary health centre (PHC) for every 3,500 population. So if the Bhore committee recommendations are to be followed for Orissa having a population of about 4 crore there is a need for more than 12,000 doctors to meet the requirements,” said Madhusudan Mishra, president, Orissa Medical Service Association, the body which represents 3,000 and odd government doctors. “The government should take the healthcare problems seriously. Producing more doctors will not address the long-standing issue, rather the government should stress more on retaining young doctors in the state,” he said. Mishra said besides the lower salary, the lack of opportunities also prompt doctors to seek greener pastures outside the state. The government is also thinking of establishing more auxiliary nurse and midwife and general nurse and midwife training centres to fill up the vacancies in para-medical posts. The Centre has also agreed to set up four auxiliary nurse and midwife training centres in undivided KBK (Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi) districts, the most backward region of the country. The total intake capacity of these training centres for the one-and-a-half-year auxiliary nurse and midwife course would be 120 per year, the health minister said. DOCTORS IN DEMAND No. of posts of govt doctors: 4,258 Vacant: 1,758 No. of govt medical colleges: 3 No. of private medical colleges: 4 No. of doctors passing out every year: 700 No. of new colleges proposed: 10 Additional no. of doctors every year: 1,000