Bhubaneswar, Dec. 6: Nearly 403 posts of doctors are lying vacant in eight districts that consists of the Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi (KBK) region.

In Kalahandi, highest number of 71 of 175 sanctioned posts is left vacant, followed by Koraput (69 of 96 posts). Similarly, there are 32 vacancies in Nuapada, 37 in Balangir, 22 in Sonepur, 54 in Rayagada and 66 in Nawarangpur. Fifty-two of the 88 sanctioned posts of doctors are left vacant in Maoist-hit Malkangiri.

“We are posting doctors in the KBK districts on priority basis. But, the doctors are not willing to serve in the region,” said a worried health minister Damodar Rout.

Rout said 321 of 391 doctors recruited through the Odisha Public Service Commission during 2011-13 had been posted in KBK districts. “More than 200 doctors are not joining their place of posting,” he said.

The issue was discussed in the Assembly on November 30 last year, when 421 posts were lying vacant in the region. The government had promised several measures, including making it mandatory for the fresh doctors to serve in KBK region and other tribal districts, to address the vacancy issue.

The government incorporated the provision in the cadre rule for the government doctors. Fresh medical graduates were required to execute a bond to put in at least three of their service in the underdeveloped areas.

To attract the doctors to serve in the underdeveloped areas, the state government had introduced an incentive package. Doctors serving in rural pockets of backward districts get a special monthly allowance of Rs 8,000 and those working in the headquarters of these districts get Rs 4,000 as incentive.

Despite the measures, the situation has hardly improved, prompting MLAs of both Opposition and the ruling party to allege about neglect towards the region. “The government should not neglect the backward region, which needs better health care,” said leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh, who represents the region.

Rout said: “The government has not neglected the region, rather it has been posting doctors on priority basis. What is needed is a change in mindset of doctors.”

Rout said the government had initiated disciplinary measures against the doctors, who were not attending their duties and remaining unauthorisedly absent.

“We are identifying such doctors and those who have remained on long leave,” he said, adding that they were warned through newspaper advertisements.

Stating that the scarcity of doctors was not only confined to KBK region, the minister said this was a statewide problem and the government had requested the commission to recruit 1,000 to 1,500 doctors soon. Besides, steps have been initiated to set up medical colleges in Rayagada, Keonjhar and other areas besides increasing MBBS seats in the three government-run medical colleges, he said.