The healthcare system in Nabarangpur, a remote tribal district in Odisha, is hanging by a thread. Hospitals are running short of doctors, and those who are there are stretched far too thin. Why? It all comes down to a government policy that seems blind to the district’s real challenges.
Only 4 Out of 10 Doctors Are Actually Working
Imagine a hospital where most of the doctors you expect to see aren’t there. That’s exactly what’s happening in Nabarangpur.
The government has approved 395 doctor positions across the district. But only 214 posts have been filled, and of these, just 155 doctors are actually present and working. The rest are on extended leave, studying for higher degrees, or have quietly left their jobs.
This leaves 181 posts completely empty. Some health centers have just a handful of doctors trying to do the work of many. The situation is just as bad in dental care—only 5 out of 12 dental surgeons are on duty.
Doctors Don’t Want to Stay – And the Reason Is Policy
The root of the problem lies in an incentive policy introduced by the previous BJD government in 2015. The idea was to reward doctors working in tough areas by offering them extra money depending on how “difficult” their posting location was.
Health centers were ranked in four categories:
- V1 – ₹10,000/month extra
- V2 – ₹20,000/month extra
- V3 – ₹30,000/month extra
- V4 – ₹40,000/month extra (meant for the most challenging areas)
But here’s the catch: Most of Nabarangpur’s hospitals were not placed in the highest hardship category (V4). Despite the district being remote, tribal-dominated, and severely lacking in roads, railways, and even electricity in some parts, only two hospitals made it to V4. The majority were tagged as V2 or V3, offering far less incentive to stay.
For many doctors, that’s not worth it. They either leave early, go on long leaves, or transfer elsewhere where they earn better and live more comfortably. A senior employee at a local hospital in Umerkote summed it up:
“Anyone posted here either leaves within months or never comes back after going for further studies.”
The Reality Is Far Worse Than the Policy Suggests
Go to villages like Gumaguda, and you’ll see the real picture. No roads. No electricity. Patients are still carried on cots for miles just to reach a health center.
So why are these places not getting V4 status and the highest incentives?
Residents are furious. Pushparaj Nayak, a local from Gumaguda, asked the big question:
“If our villages don’t qualify for the highest hardship level, then who does?”
Local Health Chief Demands Action
Even the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Dr. Santosh Kumar Panda, admits things are bad. He directly blames the flawed categorization system for the doctor crisis.
“We urgently need the government to upgrade our classification. Only then can we start filling the gaps and fix the broken healthcare system here.”
Nabarangpur Needs Urgent Help
The message is clear: Doctors won’t stay without fair pay and support, especially in such harsh working conditions. The state government has to revisit its outdated policy, look at the real ground conditions, and act fast.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about numbers or incentives—it’s about real people suffering without proper medical care in one of Odisha’s most underserved districts.
