Bhubaneswar: When recently the RG Kar Medical College Rape and murder has ripped open the plight of specialist doctors showing how overburdened they were in neighbouring West Bengal, hearing a case of voluntary retirement sought by a specialist doctor in Odisha, the Orissa HC has ruled big.
While it blames the State rules for high attrition rate at the specilist level in the State, at the same time has also called for use of AI in adminstration of hopsitals.
The HC has called for limited bureaucratic involvement in managing medical professionals and institutions. The HC has also expressed its anguish over high shortfall of specialist doctors in the State
SPECIALIST DOCTORS SHORTFALL ACUTE?
It seems very much so.
Because, as against the sanctioned posts of specialists doctors, the in position ones were nearly half.
The gap in sanctioned and in-position specialist doctors in Odisha hits hard where it hurts. When the State is grappling with higher rates of infant mortality or U-5 mortality or maternal mortality, the shortage of specialists catering to child and mother have been higher at over 50%
As per a recent CAG report tabled in the State Assembly, Odisha has a shortfall of specialist doctors of higher order.
SPECIALIST DOCTORS CRUNCH
Here is the picture CAG report portrayed.
- 8 districts (Koraput (78 per cent); Rayagada (69 per cent); Kandhamal (68 per cent); Deogarh (67 percent); Malkangiri (65 per cent); Sundargarh (65 per cent); Mayurbhanj (65 per cent) Nabarangpur (62 per cent) in Odisha have 60% shortage in Spl Docs
- 2 districts (deogarh, Nabarangpur) have 60% shortage of even cadre doctors
- The overall vacancy of specialist doctors in the State was 49 per cent,
- However, when compared to the sanctioned strength, shortages in the cadres of specialists were more than 50% in 14 districts.
- Whereas shortage of doctors has been over 50% in 6 districts
WHY SPECIALIST DOCTOR CRUNCH?
Every year Odisha see pass out of 1,234 PG doctors. But the fact of matter is over 41% were pass outs from Private colleges. And they move to private sector in State or outside.
Even when 59% of pass outs from government medical colleges and hospitals, the attrition rate is considered high after the mandatory bond service is over.
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR ATTRITION?
The Orissa HC has blamed the rules of Odisha government for high attrition in the specialist level doctors.
Delivering its Judgment, single Judge Bench of Orissa HC Justice Sanjib Panigrahi said:
“Across states, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and others, governments have codified the power to reject voluntary retirement when the withdrawal of service threatens the well-being of the public.” The Judgment added that:
“Yet in Odisha, the Odisha Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1992 remain silent where they ought to speak.”
The Result, the judgment said:
“OCS (Pension) rules 1992 lack the safeguard that other states have rightly recognized, that a profession whose absence imperils life itself cannot be surrendered at will. The law, in its present form, leaves an opening, a path unguarded, through which a public servant, however essential his role, may exit without restraint.”
ORISSA HIGH COURT STEPS IN…
Terming the trend of specialist doctors taking voluntary retirement on the pretext of transfer as national phenomenon, the Orissa HC says framing a restrictive law without reform will not be the solution to address the illness afflicting medical care system in the State. Therefore, it has provided a framework for the State. The details are given below.
- Ensure equitable, transparent compensation structures for physicians commensurate with their professional contribution.
- Remuneration must be aligned with evolving healthcare priorities and ensure unjust diminution of physicians’ wages.
- Integrate work-life balance principles into the healthcare profession to ensure the physical and mental well-being of physicians is preserved.
- No to rigid clinical schedules that undermine a physician’s right to family life and personal wellness
- Give a say to doctors a substantive role in the decision-making processes that govern clinical operations, resource allocation, and policy formulation.
- No overburdening doctors with administrative works in Healthcare institutions
- Use technology to ease administrative and documentary burdens on doctors. The courts call for use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hospital management.
- Put in place tailormade mental health and wellness programs to address burnout of doctors.
- The court asks to have a culture in medical system of State that should not stigmatizes help-seeking behaviors among medical professionals
- It batted for systems of peer support, counselling, and psychological care shall be integrated within healthcare institutions.
- In order to retain specialist doctors, HC asks government to direct healthcare systems to undertake periodic internal reviews to assess and address concerns raised by medical professionals regarding workplace conditions, compensation, and administrative inefficiencies.
