At the recent state legislative council held on 20 March, a party member admitted that Bihar has a huge scarcity of doctors, both general physicians and specialists, and that the department has issued an order for appointment of more doctors on contract basis.

Bihar government on 20 March admitted that the state had a huge scarcity of doctors. Replying to a starred question of BJP member Rajneesh Kumar in the state legislative council, health minister Mangal Pandey said Bihar was faced with the problem of huge scarcity of doctors but poor patients were being treated with the help of available facilities at government hospitals. He said the government was appointing specialist doctors under State Health Society and National Health Mission and doctors under national urban health mission on contract. He said, district health committees were appointed general physicians under national health mission.

The minister said is department had issued a directive on January 25 last year for appointment of medical officers and specialist medical officers at the departmental level on the contract basis. He said general administration department had been requested for speedy recruitment of general physicians including lady doctors through Bihar Technical Appointment Commission. Mr Pandey said, process was underway to publish advertisement to appoint general physicians and specialist doctors against posts falling vacant due to doctors retiring from Bihar Health Service and Bihar Medical Education Service. He said services of general physicians and specialist doctors were being taken on the payment of honourarium. He said that honorarium of doctors was being enhanced from time to time.