BANGALORE: As many as 6,878 posts of doctor, nurse and technician are vacant in various government hospitals and health centres.

Health Minister R. Ashok told presspersons here on Saturday that 763 posts of chief medical officer, medical officer and dentist were vacant.

The department had submitted a proposal to the Finance Department seeking approval for recruitment. Recruitment to fill 500 vacancies was completed recently and appointment orders would be issued soon. There were 3,263 vacancies in hospitals having 30 to 100 beds, he said.

Residential quarters

Under the Karnataka Health Systems Development and Reforms Project, the World Bank has released Rs. 200 crore for construction of residential quarters for doctors of primary health centres (PHCs).

The bank will provide Rs. 897.79 crore for the entire project, which will be implemented in the next five years.

Asked about the death of a pregnant woman at a PHC at Narasapura in Kolar taluk, he said the doctor concerned had been suspended on the charge of dereliction of duty.

The doctor was not staying in the PHC quarters and had been travelling from Bangalore to Narasapura, the Minister said.

The department had decided to appoint two doctors at each primary health centre to ensure 24-hour service, he said.

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