5% jump in vacancy rate of doctors in HP

Number of vacant posts stand at around 5,000

SHIMLA : In Himachal Pradesh, medical officer (MO) vacancies in health institutions has increased by 5 % from the base year (2014-15) to reference year (2015-16), said a report compiled by NITI Ayog. It said the vacancy rate has gone up to 21.7% from 16.2%.

The report was released recently in New Delhi, suggesting that among larger states, MO vacancies at the primary health centres (PHC) is the highest in Bihar (64 %) followed by Madhya Pradesh (58 %), Jharkhand (49 %), Chhattisgarh (45 %) and West Bengal (41 %).

It is the lowest in Kerala (6 %) followed by Tamil Nadu (8 %) and Punjab (8 %). From base to reference year, there has been

HIMACHAL HAS THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA SPENDING ON HEALTH (₹ 26,000) BUT STILL PEOPLE HAVE TO RUSH TO BIGGER HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE

reduction in MO vacancies in the range of 5 % to 25 % age points in Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal.

Among smaller states, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur also have a high proportion (36% to 43 %) of vacant positions of MOS at PHCS and no reduction in MO vacancies from base to reference year.

Tripura and Goa have shown a reduction of 15 % points and 17 % in vacant MO posts at PHCS respectively, whereas these have increased in Arunachal Pradesh from 9% to 39 %.

Earlier the state data showed that Himachal has around 5,000 vacant posts. Himachal has the highest per capita spending on health (₹ 26,000) but still people have to rush to big health institutions despite huge buildings housing health sub centres, primary health centres, civil hospitals which are evidently without adequate facilities.

Himachal has 2,700 health institutions for which sanctioned staff strength is over 19,000 of which around 5,000 posts are lying vacant including around 400 that of doctors.