The Uttar Pradesh government has approved over 19,000 posts of doctors to ensure availability of specialists in the health services, an official statement said on 19 December.

Of the 19,011 approved posts, 10,580 will be for MBBS doctors and 8,431 for specialists, it said. Half of the specialist doctors will be recruited directly and the remaining posts will be filled up through promotion, the statement said. Till now, in the absence of direct recruitment of specialist doctors, a large number of posts used to remain vacant. The posts were announced in new guidelines issued by the Additional Chief Secretary Medical and Health.

In the guidelines, the posts of doctors have been arranged category-wise. A total of 3,620 grade-1 (L-1) category medical officers will be recruited directly. Grade-2 (L-2) category will have 7,240 posts and direct recruitment will be done on 3,620 of these. In L-3 category, 5,199 posts have been created for deputy chief medical officers, medical superintendents and consultants. In L-4 category, 2,825 posts have been created for chief medical superintendents, chief medical officers, additional chief medical officers and joint directors. As many as 105 posts have been created for additional directors, principal superintendent and chief consultants in L-5 category. In L-6 category, 19 posts have been created for directors. In L-7 category, three posts have been created at the director general level.