Govt. to hire retired doctors

Now, physicians do not have to worry about spending time post retirement as the government has decided to hire their services after turning 60 to tackle the shortage of doctors in hospitals.

A decision has been taken to hire services of doctors aged between 60 and 65 in the outpatient departments in taluk and district-level hospitals. They will be paid Rs. 30,000 a month.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader told presspersons here on Wednesday that the State was facing shortage of nearly 2,000 doctors. Doctors have been refusing to join government service owing to low salary, he said.

To tackle the shortage of gynaecologists, paediatricians and anaesthetics and ensure safe deliveries in government institutions, a decision has been taken to hire specialists, who will be paid Rs. 1 lakh a month.

Shortage of specialists

There was shortage of 1,700 specialists in government hospitals. The specialists would be hired under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) on contract basis till the completion of recruitment by the Karnataka Public Service Commission. ENT, ophthalmology and other specialists would be hired on part-time basis, he said.

The ‘Danta Bhagya’ scheme and dialysis unit in one of the taluks in each district would be launched on December 6 by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Banquet Hall of the Vidhana Soudha. Under the scheme, free dentures would be provided to senior citizens belonging to below poverty line families. A total 45 dental colleges will be involved in this, he said.