Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): It was true that there was shortage of specialist doctors in the medical services but to fill the gap, the government was planning to appoint them on higher salaries and a revised contractual policy would be introduced, said deputy chief minister Rajendra Shukla in the state assembly here on Thursday.
Both Congress and BJP MLAs pointed out the shortcomings in the health sector of the state during the budget demand discussion in the assembly.
The minister said that the government’s main focus was on the appointment of specialist doctors in CHCs and to provide health services to at least 90% of the patients reaching the facilities.
The rest would be referred to the district hospital and medical colleges.
He added that there were 4000 posts vacant in CHCs, candidates for 1300 posts were scheduled to be recruited through direct recruitment and the rest through promotion.
Out of 1300, 500 candidates were selected for appointment and 300 had joined. He also pointed out the reservation case pending in court which was hindering the appointments.
Rural health sector ignored
Leader of opposition Umang Singhar said that the government was focusing on the urban health sector and not on the rural.
“Just 2% of the allocation is made for the rural health services and more than 50% for urban”, he said.
He also said that the government had curtailed the medicine purchase allocation of Rs 2.25 crore compared to the financial year 2025-26.
‘Biased working of CM’
Congress MLA Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat demanded,“The government should clarify about the distribution of CM funds given on the request of BJP MLAs and Congress MLAs to the people needing health care”.
Congress MLA Rajendra Kumar Singh said that he had submitted a private member bill, in which it was proposed to cover all the citizens of the state.
‘We are also educated’
Congress MLA Omkar Singh Markam said, “Minister, don’t explain it to us. We are educated too. We are as educated as your officers. We did not appear in the IAS exam to become officers, you can not mislead us”.
The MLA attacked the minister on ‘Chhindwara poisonous cough syrup issue’, in which 25 children died in the district after consumption of a cough medicine.
“You have the inspector, you have the investigation, you have some licensing authority and some other powers are with the Centre. You are misleading me, I understand all this”, he said.
