Bhubaneswar: Odisha currently has one doctor for every 1,735 people, falling short of the World Health Organisation’s recommended ratio of one doctor per 1,000 people, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling told the Assembly Monday.

In a written reply to a question raised by BJD legislator Ranendra Pratap Swain, Mahaling stated that 4,880 posts of medical officers are lying vacant across government hospitals in the state. “Out of the 15,774 sanctioned posts for medical officers, only 10,894 are currently filled. This figure includes positions such as assistant professors and assistant surgeons,” he said.

The shortage extends beyond medical officers.

“The state has 23 vacant posts of pharmacists out of the 2,718 sanctioned positions, 86 vacant posts of medical laboratory tech

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