SHILLONG, Oct 12: Admitting the shortcomings, Health Minister James PK Sangma on Wednesday said that the state government is trying to find the ways and means to address the problem of shortage of specialist doctors in the state.
“We are hopeful that very soon we will be able to initiate steps and ways and means whereby he will be able to address this gap. We are not shielding away from saying this that we have a shortage of doctors,” Sangma said.
The important thing is to recognise the issues, according to him.
“We want to bring them (specialist doctors) as regular doctors to be able to provide better services,” he said.
Asked about the the recent interview conducted by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) for the recruitment of Medical & Health Officers (MHOs) in 2017, the Health minister he does not wish to comment on the MPSC’s matters since it is an autonomous body.
He added that the questions should be asked from the MPSC.
“But we are trying to coordinate with the MPSC in the best possible way and the government is working towards finding ways and means to have a better mechanism whereby the time taken for such kind of processes can be reduced,” the minister said.
He also seemed confident that the state government will work in close coordination with the MPSC.
“We understand the challenges and the problems. We are trying to find ways and solution to this,” Sangma said.
It may be mentioned that the state government’s disinclination to regularise the services of specialist doctors appointed under clause 3(f) of Meghalaya Service Rules of 1990 is learnt to be the main reason why experienced and freshly-minted doctors are not willing to work in the state’s health centres.
According to the clause 3(f), continuance in service vis-à-vis the regularisation in service thereof will depend upon being selected by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) within the required position in the list of candidates recommended by the panel for regularisation.
All specialist government doctors are appointed as Medical and Health Officers (M&HO) under clause 3(f). The services of such doctors have reportedly not been regularised for more than six years, depriving them of increments and other benefits.
Many specialist doctors with triple degrees are ready to pay off the bonds as they feel their expertise is being wasted in doing general MBBS duty in the state. Some of them reportedly approached the Health department seeking permission to work in their specialised fields at government-run hospitals and health centres.
