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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Bihar faces acute dearth of docs by Nishant Sinha

Bihar faces acute dearth of docs by Nishant Sinha

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published Published on Sep 24, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 24, 2011

-The Times of India

 

Bihar is facing an acute shortage of doctors. Against a requirement of 15,000 doctors under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), only 4,500 doctors are in position. The problem has been compounded as against the retirement, deaths and migration to other places of 4,500 doctors of Bihar Health Services in the last 20 years, less than 1,000 doctors have been recruited during this period. The state government is yet to take a decision on raising the retirement age of all serving doctors in the state though NRHM had recommended it long back.

As far as specialist doctors are concerned, the situation is even more glaring. The state is short of 70% specialists. There are around 1,800 specialist doctors in the state, including postgraduate degree and diploma holders, against a requirement of 5,000 specialists. Similarly, against the requirement of 5,000 medical teachers, the state has only 1,200 medical teachers, both regular and contractual appointees.

The NRHM, in its report, had recommended the raising of retirement age of doctors. Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand have raised it to 65 years. When the Bihar Health Services Association (BSHA) brought this to the notice of principal secretary, health, Amarjeet Sinha, during a meeting with him recently, Sinha had agreed in principle to apprise the government of Jharkhand government's notification to this effect.

The government is considering raising the retirement age of specialist doctors, stated Sinha at the meet. But the association has demanded raising the superannuation age of all government doctors to 65 years.

Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, too, agreed recently that Bihar was facing shortage of doctors and their services could be utilized in a better way if their retirement age is raised.

The doctor-population ratio in Bihar is 1:3500, which is far behind the national average of 1:1700. Bhore committee puts the ideal ratio at 1:1000. According to National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the state requires more than 70,000 doctors to reach the required ratio.

According to BHSA, the health department's bid to streamline health care services would be futile unless the problem of shortage of doctors is addressed. BHSA secretary Dr Ajay Kumar attributed the non-availability of doctors to delayed appointments, lack of incentives and poor personnel management. He pointed out that around 20 doctors retire every month without their replacement being found. The association welcomed the chief minister's move to personally monitor the availability of doctors in the state and solve the vexed issue.


The Times of India, 23 September, 2011, http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-23/patna/30193872_1_retirement-age-government-doctors-bihar-health-services-association


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