60% Doctor Posts Vacant in Odisha Government Hospitals, Health Minister Tells Assembly

Bhubaneswar: Government-run hospitals across Odisha are facing an acute manpower shortage, with nearly 60% of sanctioned doctor posts lying vacant, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling informed the Assembly on Monday.

Presenting detailed figures, the Minister said Odisha has 15,774 sanctioned posts for doctors, but 9,503 of these remain unfilled. Currently, 6,271 doctors are serving in government health facilities across the state. Of them, 5,003 are regular doctors, 1,135 are engaged on a contractual basis, 19 are working ad-hoc, 110 are deployed under District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funding, and four under the corpus fund.

To address the severe shortage, the state government has requested the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) to expedite recruitment for 5,248 vacant posts, he said.

The Minister also highlighted that Odisha’s medical education capacity has expanded with the recent opening of two new government medical colleges — one in Phulbani and another in Talcher. With these additions, the state now has 14 government medical colleges.