The medical health and family welfare department of Uttarakhand has decided to recruit 400 new medical officers. The recruitment would provide some succor to the department affected by shortage of doctors.

The secretary medical health and family welfare, Nitesh Jha said that the process of recruitment of doctors in 400 posts would start soon. He said that the Uttarakhand Medical Services Selection Board (UMSSSB) would recruit these doctors. The secretary claimed that the department is recruiting new doctors every year in the state health services.

The data of the state health department reveals that as many as 679 posts of medical officers are vacant in the state health services which have a sanctioned strength of 2735. The department is impeded by the fact that only 1522 regular doctors are working in the health services of Uttarakhand.  To aggravate the problem further as many as 239 doctors are on leave for various reasons while 173 out of 359 bonded medical officers (Contractual) are not giving their services as they are doing their post graduation.

In an attempt to increase the number of doctors, the state health department in last two years has recruited more than 900 doctors. However the situation has remained more or less unchanged in the remote areas. In Pauri which is the home district of chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat who also holds the health portfolio, 111 posts of the doctors out of total 365 posts are vacant similarly in Tehri, only 124 regular doctors are working. This district has 226 sanctioned posts of doctors.

The health department reeling under shortage of doctors in impeded further by acute shortage of specialist doctors. The situation is so pathetic that the state health services do not have a single specialist of cardiology in the entire state.  The state health department has only 393 specialist doctors in its ranks out of sanctioned posts of 1234.