Amid the outbreak of coronavirus infection and with numbers of active cases increasing in the state of Meghalaya, Health Services director Aman War stated there is a huge crisis of doctors in the state.
War was quoted saying to the news agency PTI, "There is a shortage of more than 100 doctors as per the present vacant posts. The health department could not even get 50 doctors to appoint on a contractual basis for tackling the COVID-19 situation".
The state government published an advertisement for filling up the vacant posts of doctors, in this regard War said, "We have advertised for the post of doctors in the state as well as outside the state but no one had come forward to apply".
According to the senior health department official, there are over 800 doctors in different government hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Public Health Centres (PHCs) across the state, however, the scarcity of doctors is mainly due to the fact that many refuse to work in state government hospitals after completing their medical education
Many of them have paid the bond amount for not working in state government hospitals after completing their medical education in the state. "Over rupees 3 crore was collected as bond amount penalty from such doctors in two years," War said and added the bond amount has been increased to rupees 30 lakh.
Meghalaya reported 52 new COVID-19 cases today, taking the state's count to 1,114 while 610 are active and 498 people have recovered from the disease. Six fatalities have occurred from the disease so far.
