The results of the ICMR study highlight how crucial it is to follow treatment recommendations and the possible negative effects of doing otherwise on patient safety and health outcomes. In order to encourage evidence-based practices, ongoing education, and quality improvement activities in the delivery of medical treatment, healthcare practitioners, institutions, and regulatory agencies must work together to address these concerns.
The severe lack of physicians in Nagaland, where there is supposedly only one physician for every 4,056 people—a ratio well below the WHO-recommended level—is the source of the NMSA’s worry. According to NMSA, over 183 sanctioned medical officer seats are currently occupied by state contract doctors and contractual COVID doctors appointees, which has made the scarcity worse.
More than 250 recent medical graduates have been brought to the attention of the association, who are anxious to compete for posts as medical officers through an open and merit-based hiring process. The competition for these jobs has grown as more medical graduates graduate each year, underscoring the critical need for hiring to bridge the healthcare labor shortfall.
The NMSA has expressed concerns on the practice of contracting doctors, pointing out that it affects both new graduates and current students and presents difficulties for contract doctors because of NPSC exam age restrictions. It is anticipated that Nagaland’s public health services will suffer as a result of this recruitment stagnation, which emphasizes how urgently this problem needs to be resolved.
Furthermore, NMSA has opposed the establishment of a specialist cadre for NPSC recruitment and instead supported medical officer recruitment (MBBS) as the main entrance point into the state government’s Health and Family Welfare Department. In order to address the scarcity of specialists at the local level and improve healthcare delivery throughout the state, the organization has proposed moving specialist physicians from primary health centers (PHCs) and community health centers (CHCs) to district hospitals.
Furthermore, NMSA has called for the inclusion of 22 seats occupied by in-service doctors who have joined the newly established state medical college, Nagaland Institute of Medical Science and Research (NIMSR), in the recruitment process for medical officers. This inclusion would ensure a fair opportunity for all eligible graduates to contribute to the state’s healthcare services and address the pressing healthcare needs of Nagaland’s population.
The promotion of timely and transparent recruiting procedures for all authorized medical officer positions by the NMSA is essential to guaranteeing a sufficient supply of healthcare workers and enhancing the standard and accessibility of healthcare in Nagaland. Government, healthcare organizations, and other stakeholders must work together to prioritize healthcare workforce development and recruitment tactics that support the state’s healthcare objectives and priorities in order to address these challenges.
SOURCE:
EAST MOJO
