After around 500 specialist doctors in Maharashtra refrained from joining government jobs, the state government was compelled to cancel their appointments. The Maharashtra government had rolled out positions for specialist doctors including gynecologists, pediatricians, and anesthetists, to improve the state’s public healthcare system in rural and tribal areas. However, the government had to cancel all the appointments after the specialist doctors reportedly did not join the services despite receiving appointment orders on June 20, 2024.
Over 400 appointments were cancelled by the state government through an order on 5th February and another 60 appointments were cancelled in two subsequent orders. The government will now consider candidates on the waiting list to fill the vacancies.
What factors discourage doctors from joining government jobs
According to reports, the state government issued a recruitment advertisement for Medical Officers (Group-A) on 31st January 2024 to fill the vacancies in public hospitals. Appointment orders were sent out after completing the selection process and the selected candidates were expected to join within the stipulated time frame.
However, the doctors did not join within the time frame. The incident has again highlighted the problem of doctors preferring private practice to serving in government hospitals. However, doctors are not entirely to be blamed for this situation. Poor infrastructure in government hospitals and unsatisfactory pay grades form part of the problem. In such a situation, governments face the challenge of keeping critical departments like emergency care, gynecology and anesthesia.
In Maharashtra, the salaries for Medical Officers (Group-A) are between Rs 56,100 and Rs 1,77,500 per month, averaging Rs 95,935. On the other hand, in private practice, a specialist can earn around 1.53 lakhs per month making it a preferable option among doctors. Besides, prolonged government recruitment processes also add to the problem.
“By the time appointment letters were issued, many of us had already joined private hospitals, “one of the selected candidates was quoted by Indian Express as saying.
“Many selected candidates hesitate to join due to the heavy workload, inadequate infrastructure, and lower salaries compared to private hospitals,” a senior health department official reportedly said. A doctor who declined his appointment blamed the poor working conditions in government hospitals for the problem. “Leaving these positions vacant is not an option. The hiring process must be streamlined to avoid such delays”, another senior official reportedly said.
Government needs to address systemic issues
A survey conducted by Jan Arogya Abhiyan in 2021 reportedly found that 22 out of 38 rural hospitals in Maharashtra stopped conducting Cesarean section because of a lack of specialists. In 17 districts, even routine surgeries were unavailable. 46.68 % of vacancies for senior doctors were reported by state-run medical colleges in 2022.
“Without specialists, rural hospitals turn into referral centres, forcing patients to travel long distances”, said Dr Abhay Shukla, a public health expert. “To add skilled doctors in government hospitals, Maharashtra must address systemic issues-offering competitive salaries better incentives and improved working conditions. Without these changes, vacancies will persist, leaving millions without access to essential healthcare, ” he added.
