On Saturday, the state government created 2,000 more posts of doctors taking their total approved strength to 8,719 from the current 6,719.

Health minister Naba Kishore Das said the governor has sanctioned the 2,000 posts of medical officers in the rank of Group ‘A’ of Odisha Medical and Health Services cadre for peripheral health institutions in the state and the doctors will be recruited soon.

A senior government officer said with four new medical colleges in Balasore, Balangir, Koraput and Baripada and increase in the number of MBBS seats in the existing colleges, the number of MBBS pass outs would increase markedly by two to three years.

A health department notification said 12 such posts have been created for sub-divisional hospitals in Ganjam’s Aska and Nabarangpur’s Umerkote each and 13 posts have been created for sub-divisional hospitals in Hinjili, Ganjam, Pattamundai, Kendrapada, Mathili and Chitrakonda in Malkangiri and Khariar in Nuapada each. Also, four posts each have been created for community health centres in Jagannathpur, Cuttack, Borikina and Redhua in Jagatsinghpur, Golamunda, Kalahandi and Gaisilet, Bargarh. One post each has been created for PHCs in Dakhinabandha in Jajpur district, Belgaon in Nabarangpur and Kunjabiharipur, Jajpur.

The primary health centres in Maharajpur, Ranasahi and Jayrampur in Balasore district, Jamkhunta and Budhabahal in Balangir, Barida and Sunathara in Ganjam district, Singhpur, Jajpur, Mahaling in Kalahandi district and Hungulapata in Ganjam have similarly each got one post of medical officers from the health department.

In addition, 1,870 posts have been sanctioned for medical and public health in the rural areas of the state and eight more posts have been sanctioned for urban health centres and other dispensaries.

Nirakar Bhatt, president Odisha Medical Service Association, said that it is a commendable move and has been grateful to the government for this step. A government statement said, presently, about 3,288 posts of doctors are lying vacant and the new posts have been created to fill up posts lying vacant due to doctors who go on study leave. The posts would be called leave training reserve medical officer posts.