Berhampur: Healthcare at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here has gone haywire with more than 113 doctor posts lying vacant in the premier hospital of South Odisha, sources said Monday. MKCG is one of the main healthcare facilities for people living in Ganjam and its neigbouring districts.
Locals alleged that the doctors’ crunch is due to negligence of the Odisha government. Local lawmakers were also blamed for their inability to place the demand properly for filling up of vacant doctor posts before the government.
It has been alleged that doctors of MKCG are being transferred to other hospitals. However, the government is not making any effort to fill up the vacancies.
Reports said that the hospital has 426 sanctioned posts of doctors of which 113 are lying vacant. This has raised questions about proper care of patients at the hospital.
Many locals are of the opinion that patients from various South Odisha districts and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh depend on this hospital for their healthcare. The government is laying stress on providing quality healthcare services to the patients for which it has implemented a host of measures. However, quality healthcare has eluded the patients who die due to lack of adequate number of doctors at the MKCG hospital.
Sources said out of 39 sanctioned professor posts at the hospital, four are lying vacant. The posts that are lying vacant are in surgery, gastroenterology (surgical & medicine) and emergency medicine departments. The Odisga government has recently opened gastroenterology department but it is yet to appoint any professor.
Similarly, the hospital has 81 associate professor posts of which 30 are vacant. Moreover, out of 162 sanctioned assistant professor posts, 11 are yet to be filled up. Likewise, out of 40 posts for teachers, 23 are lying vacant and out of 84 sanctioned posts of senior residents, 41 are lying vacant.
Further, two posts of women medical officers are lying vacant while two out of 17 junior residents are also lying vacant.
Recently, all departments in a super specialty block, constructed in phases under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), were made operational.
When contacted, Dr Abanikant Mishra, dean-cum-principal of MKCG Medical College and Hospital said that the state government has been informed about the vacant posts and that it would take steps in this regard soon.