Docs avoid govt jobs, none apply for 1,000 vacancies

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There are no takers for 1,100 specialist doctors’ and 151 lady gynaecologists’ posts announced by the state government recently.

The government has, for some time now, been finding it increasingly difficult to fill doctors’ posts in the government sector, be it at the entry-level or super-speciality level. This despite the fact that the government spends around Rs 30 lakh on each student to pursue courses in government medical colleges. Nearly 1,500 students pursue MBBS courses every year in 13 government medical colleges across the state on highly subsidised fees.

Health minister Mr D.L. Ravindra Reddy on Wednesday admitted in the Legislative Assembly that the government had not received a single application for the vacancies that had been notified recently. He blamed this on money and career-oriented mind-sets of doctors and their affinity to the comforts of a metro.

Docs prefer cash over Service: DL
Lack of adequate equipment and infrastructure in the health centres and excessive politics are also contributing to the situation, point out doctors from the government and corporate sector. Dr M. Chandrashekar, head of department of Anaesthesiology and Critic-al Care at Osmania General Hospital, said that a paradigm shift from a service-oriented mentality to mon-ey-mindedness was one of the main reasons for doctors shying away from serving in government hospita-ls, especially in rural areas.
“Service to the poor has taken a backseat. Instead, most doctors today are keen on making money,” Dr Ravindra Reddy said.