SHILLONG, March 21: The report of the Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) of India for 2018-2019 fiscal has revealed that there is a shortage of doctors, including specialist, in all the district hospitals. The CAG report on the performance audit of the district hospitals stated that out of the 208 sanctioned posts of doctors in the 14 district hospitals, 158 doctors (76%) were posted in these hospitals.
As of March 2019, the total requirement of doctors was 223 according to state norms, including 101 in Shillong Civil Hospital, 60 in Tura Civil Hospital, and 31 each in Nongpoh Civil Hospital and Jowai Civil Hospital.
The sanctioned strength is 67 in Shillong Civil Hospital, 27 in Jowai Civil Hospital, and 21 in Nongpoh Civil Hospital and Tura Civil Hospital.
The actual position of doctors as of March 2019 is 61 in Shillong Civil Hospital, 21 Jowai Civil Hospital, 18 in Tura Civil Hospital and 15 in Nongpoh Civil Hospital.
According to the CAG report, the state has an overall shortage of 87 doctors against its own norms. The shortfall with respect to the sanctioned post is 13% in Jowai Civil Hospital and 65% in Tura Civil Hospital.
“Further, even the sanctioned posts were not fully filled up, as there was an overall vacancy of 115% against 136 sanctioned posts. The failure of the department to adhere to the state’s norms while sanctioning the posts of doctors and in not ensuring recruitment of doctors to fill up the vacant posts had resulted in acute shortage of doctors,” the CAG report said.
The CAG report stated that during the exit conference held in July 2020, the DHS (MI) while agreeing with the shortage of doctors as pointed out by the audit had attributed the shortage to the reluctance of the state-sponsored MBSS/MD candidates to join the state government services after completion of the course due to the prospect of getting posted in the rural areas.
The DHS (MI) further stated that doctors prefer corporate hospitals to government hospitals for better facilities or packages, the CAG report said.
According to the CAG report, the Commissioner and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department had informed that the government had increased the surety bond amount for the state-sponsored medical students for not joining the state services after the completion of the course and have taken other initiatives to formulate a comprehensive package for doctors.
The CAG further observed that the reply of the government is not convincing since the government has not been able to enforce the bond conditions signed between the department and the students. The conditions say that the students, on completion of medical studies, shall join the Meghalaya Health Service and in the event of a breach shall be liable to pay the amount laid down in the bond.
“Thus, the condition of the surety bond was merely in paper and the state has not addressed the shortage of doctors in rural/hilly areas by implementing incentivising measures to improve the availability of doctors in the government hospitals,” the CAG report added.
The government had fixed the surety bond at Rs 10 lakh in 2000-2010, Rs 20 lakh up to 2016-2017 and Rs 30 lakh from 2017-2018 onwards.
