SEPPA, Oct 22: Health Minister Alo Libang suggested decentralizing transfer and posting of doctors to address the issue of shortage in various health facilities across the state.
“Instead of transfer and posting of doctors in a particular location, we should decentralize it and let the deputy commissioners and the district medical officers concerned decide and divide the health officials to sub-centres, community health centres, or district hospitals, as per requirement,” Libang said.
Addressing a meeting here in East Kameng district on Thursday, the minister also suggested recalling and reassigning specialist doctors engaged in positions outside of their practice, such as programme officers and nodal officers, to enable them to “perform their duty as specialists, so that the masses get maximum benefit.”
The minister also appealed to the Arunachal Pradesh Doctors’ Association to extend its support to rationalized posting and transfer of doctors, and to recall specialists engaged as nodal officers or in non-medical work.
He also cautioned that “non-performing health workers may face difficulties during promotion.”
Earlier, DMO Dr K Lapung informed that East Kameng has only four specialist doctors and nine GDMOs, whereas the requirement is for 24 specialists and 30 GDMOs. He also stressed on upgrading the primary health centres (PHC) in Bana and Bameng to community health centres, and sought upgrading other sub-centres and PHCs.
MLA Goruk Pordung, OSD to Minister Dr B Jonkey and others also shared their inputs during the meeting.
The minister also held a meeting with the officials and staffs of the women & child development department and the social justice, empowerment & tribal affairs department of East Kameng.
