All 30 Odisha districts to have medical colleges; 8000 doctors, paramedical staff recruitment soon

All the 30 districts in Odisha, including Bhadrak, will have a medical college soon, informed Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling in the State Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Speaking in the House, Minister Mahaling said, “It is important to set up medical colleges and fill up the vacant doctor posts. We have mentioned about the opening of medical colleges in our manifesto.”

“We have made a couple of amendments in the medical recruitment process which have also got the consent from the Chief Minister. The advertisement process for the recruitment of 5,000 doctors will commence soon,” the Minister said.

“Similarly, the recruitment process for the 3,000 vacant paramedical staff posts will start soon. All the 30 districts in the State will have medical colleges. We are committed to whatever we have mentioned in our poll manifesto,” he stated.

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The State government is spending Rs 250-300 crore for every 100-bed medical college established after 2014, Mahaling informed.

It is worthwhile to mention here that as many as 5,014 doctor positions, including 1,114 posts meant for specialists, are lying vacant in the State. At least 375 community health centres in 30 districts are operating without any doctors. 

Ganjam district is facing the most severe shortfall, with 450 vacancies, followed closely by 309 vacancies in Mayurbhanj.

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Earlier in September this year, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had also said that the government aims to open medical colleges in each of the 30 districts and fill up vacant posts of doctors on a priority basis.