By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 21, 2017: In a bid to fill the vacant posts of doctors, the Odisha government on Monday handed over appointment letters to 581 doctors for posting at different health centers across the State.

Of the total 6,719 sanctioned doctor posts in the state, 1,687 are still lying vacant, official sources said.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik distributed the letters to the doctors for regular appointment during a function held here.

“Healthcare has been one of the top priority sectors of Odisha government and already the placement-based incentive system has been introduced resulting in sharp decline in the number of vacancies in the State, particularly in the remote areas. The recruitments have further strengthened the healthcare sector and it is by far the first that so many doctors have been appointed in one spell,” said Patnaik.

He further stated that the State government is keen to fill up vacant posts in other cadres in the health sector. Besides filling up 150 posts of dental surgeons, 169 Homeopathy doctors and 50 Ayurvedic doctors would be recruited soon, he said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister also announced upgradation of the Sub Divisional Hospital there to District Headquarters Hospital – a long-standing demand of residents of Jeypore town in Odisha’s Koraput district.

“The Sub Divisional Hospital at Jeypore is upgraded and given the District Headquarters Hospital status,” Patnaik told reporters at Naveen Niwas.