DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 11 (MExN): The Nagaland In-Service Doctors Association (NIDA) on Tuesday stated that the shortage of doctors in Nagaland has reached alarming levels, significantly hindering the delivery of essential healthcare services across the state.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) standards, the ideal doctor-to-population ratio is 1:1000. However, Nagaland is falling drastically short of this benchmark. The shortage is particularly severe in rural areas, where most private healthcare professionals are concentrated in urban centers such as Kohima and Dimapur, due to better facilities, including healthcare services and educational opportunities for their children, the NIDA highlighted in a press release.
Despite the Indian Public Health Services (IPHS) standards serving as a framework for healthcare centers nationwide, Nagaland's health system continues to suffer from a significant lack of qualified healthcare professionals, especially doctors. This crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has underscored the urgent need for more skilled personnel to meet the growing healthcare demands of the population, the NIDA said.
The association also clarified that the recruitment of doctors to manage the COVID-19 pandemic was not a "backdoor appointment," as some have claimed. In fact, the recruitment process was conducted transparently, with Cabinet approval, public advertisements, thorough eligibility checks, and interviews by qualified officers.
Given the urgency of the pandemic, a conventional recruitment process, involving exams and interviews over several months, was not feasible.
However, despite the transparent nature of the special recruitment, ongoing court cases challenging the process have left the state in a legal limbo. As a result, the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) has been unable to proceed with any new recruitment until the legal issues are resolved. This delay is exacerbating the existing shortage of doctors, further jeopardizing healthcare services, especially in rural areas, where many health centers are operating without sufficient medical staff, the NIDA underscored.
With no new doctor recruitment through the NPSC for the past four years and continuing retirements, the shortage of doctors in Nagaland has only worsened over time.
As of July 2024, of the 435 sanctioned posts for doctors, only 322 are filled by regular employees, with 113 occupied by COVID appointees—many of whom have either left or are on study leave. In rural areas, the situation is even more dire, with 57 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) operating without medical officers, effectively causing healthcare services in these regions to collapse, the NIDA stated.
The NIDA further noted that it has long raised concerns about the growing shortage and proposed remedial measures, such as extending the service of retiring doctors and creating additional posts to meet the expanding healthcare needs of the state.
While the government holds the authority to address the recruitment issue, the NIDA expressed hope that it will not forget the heroic efforts of those who served during the COVID-19 crisis, stepping in to fill the gap when the state’s healthcare system was stretched to its breaking point.
Additionally, the association hoped that the judiciary will show compassion to the COVID-19 warriors who were recruited under special circumstances and are now facing delays in formal employment due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Resolving these issues will not only provide relief to the affected healthcare professionals but also enable the urgent recruitment of doctors through the NPSC, preventing the collapse of Nagaland's healthcare delivery system, it stated.
