The State government will take steps to fix the scarcity of doctors and other employees at the Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Health Minister K.K. Shailaja has said. Speaking at a meeting of department heads and union leaders at the medical college on Thursday, the Minister noted that the staff pattern fixed in 1961 was still being followed at the Medical College Hospital and hence the scarcity. The Minister said arrangements had been made for doctors who complete their postgraduate studies in the State to serve in the government sector compulsorily for three years.
She said there was a plan to fortify district hospitals across the State with specialties, and thus, control the flow of patients to medical colleges.
The plan was to convert medical colleges to places where only referral patients would be taken in, besides them being centres of learning and research. The five government medical colleges in the State would be elevated to the status of centres of excellence, the Minister added.
Representatives of the unions of doctors, paramedical and office staff, Hospital Development Society members and nurses took part in the meeting. They pointed out that it was difficult to fill temporary positions for doctors as they were paid well in private hospitals.
