Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Sharan Majhi on Thursday directed the Health and Family Welfare Department to initiate disciplinary action against 128 government doctors who have been illegally absent from work for over five years.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, medical and dental surgeons working in government hospitals across the state have been found absent from duty without authorization for long periods, negatively impacting healthcare delivery, especially in rural and remote areas.
Majhi also ordered the removal of Dr Pichakshana Panigrahi, former medical officer of Kandhamal Police Hospital, from government service. Similar cases of long-term absence are being examined and further action may be taken after checking service records, officials said.
He stressed that doctors working for the government must remain in their designated locations and ensure the delivery of healthcare services, especially in deprived areas where access to medical care remains limited.
This measure comes at a time when Odisha continues to struggle with a shortage of doctors in the public health system. In September last year, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling told the assembly that the state had not achieved the WHO-recommended doctor-to-population ratio of one doctor per thousand people.
According to Mahaling, Odisha currently has one doctor for every 1,735 people. He said 4,880 doctor posts remained vacant in government hospitals compared to 15,774 blocked posts, leaving the state suffering from a shortage of nearly 4,900 doctors.
