SHILLONG, JULY 24: Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday expressed concern over the unwillingness of many doctors to go for further specialisation, which will help in addressing the shortage of specialist doctors in the state.
“What I have found out from my tours is that many doctors are unwilling to go for further specialization. It seems like everybody is happy with just being a government doctor, with an MBBS certificate,” Lyngdoh told reporters.
Asserting that this mood has to change, she said, “The change cannot come from the government, it has to come from the doctors, who will be able to see the change firstly in themselves.”
Lyngdoh also said they have also seen that it is not so much the lack of specialists as in the lack of willingness to work hard.
“When you compare a government facility and a private facility there you see the stark and marked difference. We don’t know what it is, is it the salary that is too less? Is it the system that is two decadent and we need to do some quick soul searching,” she said while adding that going to every part of the state is one way for her to be exposed to all these shortcomings.
She further stated that there is also a need to bring in transfer and posting policies for doctors and nurses.
“Because everybody is of the opinion that certain doctors remain in certain parts of the state when certain doctors refuse to go to certain parts of the state. So this is also hampering the services rendered by health facilities. And we’re hoping that we will be able to sort this all out.”
Further, the minister also informed that the state government had also constituted a recruitment board, which is a competent authority that is going to be sorting out the delays in calling for applications for various doctors and specialists.
She said that the government is also sending doctors on short term courses and the first batch is completing its course now.
Lyngdoh also pointed out that she is yet to visit many parts of the state and said, “I expect to finish this exercise sometime by the end of September so that by October we will likely be able to consolidate on all of our findings.”
By Our Reporter
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