Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on September 7 termed as false state government's data on vacancy of doctors' posts and claimed that over 3800 posts of doctors are now lying vacant.

OPCC President Niranjan Patnaik said total approved number of cadre post of doctors in Odisha including Community Health Center (CHC), Primary Health Centre (PHC), sub-divisional Headquarter hospitals and district headquarter hospitals is 6719.

This was announced in 2016 December after cadre restructure, though the state needs more than double the number of doctors, he said adding now the number of doctors working in primary and tertiary level is around 2800. "Approximately 3800 number of doctor posts are lying vacant in the state," Patnaik claimed in a statement.

However, as per health and family welfare minister Pratap Jena's version in the state assembly, now 1609 doctors and 275 dentist posts are lying vacant, the PCC chief claimed and said "this is based on false data. The government is misleading people by giving false data." 

There are only around 2800 doctors working in the state and many of the MBBS who were posted through OPSC, have gone for PG or remaining absent since long. But government is calculating their numbers as working doctors, he claimed. 

As per World Health Organization (WHO) norms, there should be minimum 1 doctor for every 1000 patients, but in our country this ratio is 1:11082 and in Odisha it is worse, Patnaik said. Taking a dig at Odisha government, he said though many medical colleges are being set up in the state, there are no lecturers, tutors, associate professors and professors for the medical students.

While the government is announcing schemes after schemes in health care sector, people are not getting basic health care facilities, Patnaik said accusing the Government of not trying to fill vacant doctor posts. Around 400 to 500 out patients are being attended in each district headquarter hospital every day, while 350 to 400 are attended daily in each sub divisional hospitals, he said adding similar is the situation in PHCs and CHCs.

"But not a single doctor is there in many of the PHCs and CHCs, where either pharmacists or paramedical staff are providing service. This is the real picture of health care system in the state," he said. Though huge amount is being spent to provide health care to all, patients are going to private hospitals and nursing homes as the government is compelling poor patients to be exploited, alleges Patnaik.