A district in Arunachal Pradesh is finding it tough to attract doctors even after offering ₹1.5 lakh per month and allowing private practice in adjoining Assam.
The Changlang district administration had on September 6 issued an advertisement for recruiting a gynaecologist and an anaesthesiologist on a year’s contract under the National Health Mission. A walk-in-interview was scheduled for September 30.
No one turned up, making the district authorities decide to extend the deadline by two weeks and advertise for the two posts again with added incentives, including travelling allowance.
Changlang, a 4,662 sq. km district bordering Myanmar, currently has no gynaecologist and anaesthesiologist for its 1.5 lakh people.
Changlang’s Deputy Commissioner Devansh Yadav, a doctor himself, said lack of awareness and remoteness and backwardness of the district could have been factors for no one applying for the posts advertised for.
“Candidates probably did not turn up because of the one-year contract but there is a possibility of the tenure getting extended,” he said.
“We hope some candidates would come forward for the interview. We expect unmarried people with the urge to serve across tough terrain to turn up,” Dr. Yadav said.
The district authorities had advertised for the post in Arunachal Pradesh. They now intend to draw the attention of doctors in Assam.
Changlang is one of the three eastern Arunachal Pradesh districts where various factions of the extremist National Socialist Council of Nagaland have been carrying out extortion and subversive activities. The other two are Tirap and Longding.
Changlang has also been a conduit for members of the extremist groups in Assam to move in and out of their bases in Myanmar.
