There are 913 vacant posts of doctors in government-run hospitals and medical centres in Maharashtra, Health Minister Rajesh Tope told the Legislative Assembly on Friday. During a discussion during the Question Hour, Tope said in the next three months, the government will fill up 574 of these vacancies - 304 through direct recruitment and 270 by promotion.

He lamented that despite decentralisation of the recruitment process where doctors can be appointed by district collectors, CEOs of Zilla Parishads (ZPs) or civil surgeons at a pay of Rs 60,000 per month, physicians once selected do not work for long in rural areas. Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP suggested taking a bond from medical students at the time of admission that they will work with the government for certain years after completing studies.