Karnataka government has planned to streamline the medical postings in the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare and transfer specialist doctors who hold a mismatch position in government departments. In this connection efforts are being made at all levels to refuse to give in to the lobbyists to prevent this move.

Of the 5,069 sanctioned posts for doctors in the government hospitals, 2005 posts have been earmarked for specialists. While the 252 such posts were vacant in 444 posts, there was gross mismatch of skills.

The health minister R Ashok told Pharmabiz that a meeting was convened with the heads of several departments to discuss the issue. "Once the issue of the mismatch was addressed, there would not be not be any vacancies in the districts and taluk level hospitals," he added.

The government is also toying with a proposal to have two cadres in the health department which include administrative and medical. This was necessitated because of the disparity that existed. There were several specialists who performed administrative functions as the head of hospitals.

According to the proposal, the administrative cadre was to be filled with doctors who had completed their MBBS and the medical cadre with specialists.

The health minister further informed that in the district, Maddur, government hospitals in Mandya head injury patients were treated by an ENT surgeon. In Bangalore too, more than 800 doctors including specialists such as ophthalmologists, gynaecologists and paediatricians severed in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike overseeing the functioning of the garbage lorry and conservancy staff. "The doctors were not discharging their duties according to their qualifications," he added.

The health minister admitted that several specialist doctors take up any work in the BMP so that they could remain in the city and continue their own work. "This will have to change as the BMP will have the power to recruit its own doctors."

Further he regretted that under-utilization of modern facilities like the district hospital at Kolar where not a single patient was admitted to the 100 bed hospital. Even though the hospital has an X-ray facility and operation theatre the facilities were not being used. This was primarily because doctors did not work there and only outpatient services were utilized.

Among the other high priorities apart from sorting out the doctors posting was to ensure utmost cleanliness to be maintained in hospitals, proper dispatch of drugs and regular reporting for duty by doctors.