Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered disciplinary action against 128 government doctors who have been absent from duty for over five years.
The move aims to address a severe shortage of doctors in the state's public health system, with a doctor-population ratio of 1:1,735, far below the World Health Organization's recommended 1:1,000.
The action comes after health officials found that medical officers and dental surgeons had been absent from service without authorization, affecting healthcare delivery in rural and remote areas.
The Chief Minister has also ordered the dismissal of Dr. Bichakshana Panigrahi, a former Medical Officer, from government service.
With 4,880 Medical Officer posts vacant, the state is short of nearly 4,900 doctors, exacerbating the healthcare crisis.
