Pressure mounts to allow doctors registered in Karnataka for Kasaragod hospitals

Kasaragod: Pressure is mounting on authorities to permit doctors registered with the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) to practice in Kasaragod’s government hospitals, as the border district grapples with one of Keralam's most acute and chronic shortages of medical personnel.

Nearly 100 permanent posts for doctors lie vacant across the District Hospital, General Hospital, taluk hospitals, Mother and Child hospitals, and Family Health Centres. While the health department frequently patches these holes through temporary appointments, public discontent continues to simmer over the perpetual absence of specialist care.

The specialty division alone accounts for 47 vacancies. Existing norms do not permit temporary hiring for positions above the rank of Junior Consultant, and hospitals are struggling to find qualified hands on a contract basis even for entry-level posts equivalent to Assistant Surgeon. In light of this, bodies including the District Development Committee (DDC) have urgently demanded government clearance to appoint qualified KMC-registered doctors to ensure quality healthcare delivery.

The Kasaragod chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) echoed this demand in a recent meeting. Pointing out that doctors registered under the Kerala Medical Council are unwilling or unavailable to take up postings in the district, the IMA highlighted that numerous KMC-registered practitioners are keen to serve in these public hospitals. Furthermore, private specialists and super-specialists based in neighbouring Mangaluru are willing to serve as visiting consultants, provided the state grants them permission to practice in the district.

The lack of specialists in government facilities has driven patients into the private healthcare network. Economically disadvantaged patients without health insurance often drop out of treatment due to exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses, slipping into chronic illness. Ironically, many of the same senior specialists from Mangaluru already conduct regular outpatient clinics at private hospitals across Kasaragod and Kanhangad.

District authorities claimed that doctor shortages in general cadres have been temporarily mitigated through ad-hoc hiring, though they conceded that the crisis persists in super-specialty departments. The Kasaragod General Hospital had been designated to function as the interim teaching hospital until the inpatient wing at the new Kasaragod Government Medical College campus in Ukkinadka becomes fully operational. However, of the 50 sanctioned posts for doctors at the General Hospital, only 34 are currently filled.

The 16 vacancies at the hospital include:
Resident Medical Officer (RMO) – 1
General Medicine – 2
Senior Consultant (General Medicine) – 1
Consultant (General Surgery) – 1
Junior Consultant (Gynaecology) – 2
Senior Consultant (Paediatrics) – 1
Junior Consultant (Paediatrics) – 1
Consultant (Orthopaedics) – 1
Junior Consultant (ENT) – 1
Consultant Anaesthetist – 1
Senior Consultant (Anaesthesia) – 1
Consultant Psychiatrist – 1
Radiodiagnosis – 1
Junior Consultant (Dental) – 1