Parliamentary panel recommends Health ministry undertake a study on Central Government Health Scheme

NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Panel today recommended the Health and Family Welfare Ministry to undertake a study on shortage of doctors in Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).

"The Committee is constrained to note that out of sanctioned strength of 1620 General Duty Medical Officers and Specialists, as many as 282 posts are lying vacant and 240 have been filled on contract basis.

"It is evident that even if UPSC makes selection of doctors, very few join CGHS. The Committee therefore recommends that the department undertake a thorough study to find out the reason behind this trend and take remedial action accordingly," it said.

In its report on Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations/Observations Contained in the Seventy-First Report on the Functioning of CGHS, the Committee said that though the government has attempted to bridge the gap by appointing doctors and specialists on contract as a stop gap arrangement but this could not be a long term solution to the problem of chronic shortage of doctors.

"The department needs to address it with urgency since without the availability of doctors, all existing infrastructure of CGHS will not guarantee health care to the beneficiaries," it said.