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Doctors sound a word of caution about quacks

Bhubaneswar: Government doctors in Orissa have cautioned that health service delivery system is fast slipping into a ‘chaotic state’ with nearly 1200 posts of surgeons remaining vacant for a long time.

Doctors under the banner of Orissa Medical Service Association (OMSA) warned that health care system could soon be taken over by quacks due to lack of trained doctors in hospitals across rural areas of the state. Only 3,000 doctors cater to nearly 4.5 crore people in Orissa whereas, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, the State should have at least 12,857 doctors, OMSA president Madhusudan Mishra said.

“The State requires at least one doctor for 3,500 population. But the ground reality is totally different,” said Nihar Ranjan Samal, another doctor.

Admitting scarcity of doctors in the State, Health Minister Sanatan Bisi said the government was taking steps to fill the vacant posts.

With Orissa recording most of the malaria deaths in the country, OMSA said the situation of cholera, diarrhoea, anthrax and other diseases were frequent as more than 45 per cent of the state’s population live below the poverty line.

As people do not find doctors at public health centres, they have no option but to visit the quacks as they cannot afford treatment in private hospital, which also is scarcely found in rural areas. – PTI

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