The state government has decided to recruit specialist doctors in hospitals through online bidding, Health and Family Welfare Minister K R Ramesh Kumar said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kumar said there is severe shortage of specialists in government hospitals at district and taluk centres. He said about 1,000 posts of specialist doctors are vacant in various health centres across the state.
Specialist doctors are reluctant to join the government service despite the government offering salaries to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakh per month, he said. As a last resort, it has been decided to recruit specialists in various districts through online bidding.
Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Subodh Yadav said: “Under the system, doctors can specify their desired salary, their prefered place of work, through an online process. If the salary stipulated is agreeable to the government they will be recruited.”
Kumar reiterated that the state government will adopt the Kerala model for rehabilitating endosulfan victims in the state. A committee headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be constituted soon to work out the modalities. Under the scheme, a compensation of Rs 3 lakh will be given to bed-ridden or intellectually-challenged endosulfan victims.
Dependents of victims, who have passed away, will also get a similar compensation. There are an estimated 6,500 endosulfan victims in the state.
The minister said that universal health cards to 1.3 crore APL and BPL families to avail of free medical facilities at designated hospitals will be issued soon.
Kumar said the joint House committee headed by MLA K N Rajanna constituted to scrutinise the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 will hold its first meeting on July 6.
The bill gives powers to the government to fix rates for services in private hospitals.
Published 03 July 2017, 20:23 IST