Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Government finding it difficult to retain doctors, says Rosaiah

Special Correspondent

Vacancies in over 500 of the 1,570 Primary Healthcare Centres

HYDERABAD: Health and Finance Minister K. Rosaiah has admitted that the State Government was finding it difficult to retain doctors at work places in the rural areas, the primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in particular.

This was in turn adversely affecting the effective delivery of health services to the rural poor.

Of the total 1,570 PHCs, there were over 500 vacancies while the functioning of doctors in the other centres was also causing concern.

Mr. Rosaiah was speaking at the valedictory session of the seminar on national health policy organised by the Indian Liberal Group at the Administrative Staff College of India here on Sunday.

The large number of vacancies in the Government sector was result of the `negligence' meted out by the previous regime and the present Government had notified 1,000 posts of doctors earlier. Efforts were underway to recruit 1,000 more.

Partnership mode

Referring to the performance of the Government hospitals, he said plans were afoot to adopt West Bengal model in setting up high-end equipment in all the hospitals under public-private partnership mode.

Earlier, Indian Liberal Group State representative Y. Sivaji expressed concern over the sorry state of affairs in the health sector in the State and said a little attention and proper governance would go a long way in addressing the problems. Indian Liberal Group president S.V. Raju proposed the vote of thanks.

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