State faces shortage of docs, nurses, House told
SHILLONG: There is a shortfall of as many as 3,635 nurses in the State, Health Minister AL Hek informed the Assembly on Friday.
In reply to a question by Donkupar Roy (UDP), the Minister said that while there has been a shortage of 295 specialist doctors, the shortage of medical officers is76 and that of health workers is 63.
The Health Minister said that as a short term measure, the state government will carry out recruitment on contract basis through National Health Mission, Hospital Management Society and others.
According to Hek, as a long term measure, the government will create posts subject to the availability of manpower especially the specialist doctors in various fields.
Raising a supplementary question, Roy said that the shortfall is huge and added that the government should take steps to appoint specialists.
In reply, Hek said that a few advertisements were given, but nobody applied for the post of specialists.
However, Roy asked the state government to get medical seats from the management quota to tide over the crisis.
Paul Lyngdoh (UDP) wanted to know whether there is any sense of urgency and a contingency plan to ensure proper health care of the people of the state. The Minister said that the government will try to create more posts to address the concerns.
Speaker intervenes
After more members including Ardent Basaiawmoit (HSPDP), Saleng Sangma (Independent) and Metbah Lyngdoh (UDP) raised various points on the deficiency in healthcare system especially in rural areas, the Assembly Speaker intervened and asked the Minister to adopt ways and means to provide health care to the remotest areas of the State.