Mangaluru:
The health department would appoint retired doctors to sort out the scarcity of specialist doctors in government hospitals across the state, Health and Family Welfare Minister, UT Khader has said.
Specialist doctors below the age of 65 would be appointed on contract basis, Mr Khader said in a statement.
Over 1,500 posts of specialists including gynaecologists, anaesthesists and paediatricians remained vacant in the state.
Retired doctors would be appointed on a contract basis for a period of three years in community health centres, general hospitals and district hospitals.
The retired doctors willing to work in government hospitals could give their application to deputy commissioner of the respective districts, he said, adding that many such applications had already been received.
The move was initiated based on a request by Chincholi MLA Umesh G Jadav, a doctor-turned-politician, he said.