Bengal to hire more doctors for rural areas
Conceding that there was an “acute shortage” of doctors in rural West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the government would soon issue advertisements to hire more doctors.
“In many parts of the state, we do not have doctors, nurses and even pathologists. We are facing an acute shortage,” she said at ASHA Anganwadi workers’ convention.
She said the government would soon place advertisements on various websites for appointment of doctors from across the country.
“If we find that doctors from other states are willing to work in rural Bengal, we will employ them under the West Bengal Medical Services,” she said.
Banerjee also said the government would start giving a fixed salary to Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) from April.
“From April, you will get a fixed monthly salary of Rs 1,300. The health department will give it. For this initiative, our government will have to spend about Rs 100 crore,” she added.