Bhubaneswar, Sept 23:Odisha is currently facing a shortage of 9,633 Medical Officer posts, according to Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, who made the announcement in the state assembly on Monday.
In his written reply to a question posed by Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain, Dr. Mahaling highlighted that the state’s doctor-to-population ratio stands at 1:1735, significantly higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of 1:1000. This shortage of medical professionals is contributing to the healthcare challenges faced by the state.
The sanctioned strength for Medical Officers in Odisha is 15,774, but nearly 9,633 of these positions remain vacant. In addition, the state also has 4,880 vacant posts for Assistant Professors within the same category.
To address these vacancies, Dr. Mahaling outlined several recruitment strategies. These include hiring through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), promoting existing staff through departmental promotions, engaging doctors on a contractual basis, and utilizing funds from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF).
Efforts are also underway to fill Specialist positions once Medical Officers return from advanced studies and Senior Residency (SR) programs.
As part of an immediate response to the shortage, Chief District Medical and Public Health Officers (CDM & PHOs) have been given the authority to hire doctors on a contractual basis to fill the vacant Medical Officer posts. Currently, 877 contractual doctors are deployed in some of the most affected and remote tribal districts to tackle healthcare challenges in these areas.
Furthermore, Dr. Mahaling confirmed that the state government has sent a formal request to the OPSC (Department Letter No. 4579 dated 12.02.2025) to begin the recruitment process for 5,248 Medical Officer positions this year. Once the OPSC submits its recommendations, steps will be taken to deploy new doctors across the state.
These ongoing recruitment efforts are seen as crucial to improving healthcare access and quality in Odisha, especially in underserved and tribal regions.
