Bhubaneswar: The state government has created 2,662 new posts of doctors and 5,719 for paramedics to strengthen human resource in the health sector.

Health minister Pratap Jena gave the details at an interaction with reporters while briefing them about the department's achievements and its future plans on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, chief minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the activities of the department.

"We have provided location-based incentives to attract doctors to serve in difficult areas," said Jena.

The state has been facing an acute shortage of doctors, especially in rural and inaccessible areas - an issue highlighted during the just-concluded budget session of the Assembly.

In order to address the shortage, the government has enhanced the retirement age of government doctors to 62 years and those in medical colleges to 65 years.

It has also decided to set up more medical colleges to increase the number of doctors to address the problem.

Jena said the government had spent over Rs 600 crore to make four new medical colleges operational.

"While academic activities have already started at the Pandit Raghunath Murmu Medical College in Baripada and the Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College in Koraput, admission to Balasore and Balangir medical colleges will take place from this academic session," he said.

Last week, expert teams from the Medical Council of India visited the medical colleges in Balasore and Balangir, kindling hope about the commencement of admission from the current session.

Jena said the chief minister, during the review meeting, had directed the department to speed up filling vacancies and closely monitor all schemes to ensure their effective implementation.

He also listed out a host of schemes that ensure free health care services to people. These schemes include the free diagnostic service - Nidaan, free dialysis service - Sahay, district-level free chemotherapy and day care facilities for cancer patients, free eye care service - Sunetra, free specialist service -Ama Clinic, and Khusi - a free sanitary napkin scheme for schoolgirls.

Besides, under the free drugs scheme - Niramaya - the government has spent over Rs 500 crore between 2014 and 2018 to provide free medicines to people of the state, he said. "Over three crore people have benefited from it," he added.