Uttar Pradesh govt hires 749 doctors to fill shortage in several hospitals: Report

The health department of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has recruited 749 doctors to fill the shortage of general physicians and specialists in several state government hospitals, said a report by Hindustantimes.com on Monday.

According to the report, 393 MBBS and 356 specialists doctors were recruited through walk-in interviews for contractual jobs.

Citing a senior health department official, the report said that these doctors will work at different government hospitals as per the need and vacancies.

Presently, the Uttar Pradesh state has more than 6,000 vacant positions of doctors at hospitals and health facilities in different districts. 

Total 4,322 MBBS and 767 specialist doctors were interviewed for the jobs.

The selected doctors  were asked to join duties at the concerned health facilities within a week, said the report.

“The postings of these doctors were planned on the basis of patient load at health facilities. Priority in posting was given to hospitals with less number of doctors,” the report quoted Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, principal secretary (medical health) as saying. 

“Among the selected doctors, 84 were orthopaedic surgeons who will also help run trauma centres being set up across the state. There were 55 general surgeons, 59 gynaecologists, 32 paediatricians, 26 pathologists, 17 ophthalmologists, 22 ENT specialists, 16 physicians, four dermatologists, one neuro-surgeon, two plastic surgeons, seven anaesthetists, one skin specialist and one radiotherapy specialist,” the Hindustantimes.com report said.

According to the Uttar Pradesh health department, MBBS doctors and specialists in Grade A districts will be paid around  ₹50,000 and  ₹80,000, respectively. While MBBS doctors posted in Grade B cities will be paid  ₹55,000 and those taking up jobs in Grade C cities will get  ₹60,000.

Specialists in Grade B cities will be paid  ₹90,000 and in Grade C cities will get  ₹120,000.

A Hindustan Times report published in July this year had said that the Uttar Pradesh government was considering a proposal to increase the retirement age of government doctors from 62 years to 65 years to address the shortage of doctors in the state.