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Shillong Mar 14: Health Minister, AL Hek admitted that the hospital and health centres are having shortage of manpower including doctors.

Replying in the Assembly during question hour on Thursday, Hek said that vacancies will be filled up by promotion through departmental promotion committee (DPC) and direct recruitment through recruitment agencies such as the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC), District Selection Committee (DSC) or Departmental Selection Committee as case may be.

To meet the exigencies of service, he said officiating appointments with breaks in between are being made by the Directorate till recommendation of regular candidates are made by the recruitment agencies.

As for medical and health officers, the minister said temporary appointments are being made under Regulation 3 (f) of the MPSC (Limitation of Functions) Regulations, 1972.

While raising his supplementary, Congress legislator from Mawsynram Himalaya M Shangpliang expressed concern over many laboratory technicians languishing without jobs despite having completed their studies.

On this, the minister said that a 180 posts of lab technicians have been santionced by the government and of these, only 25 are lying vacant.

On the concern that there many hospitals functioning without dentists, Hek said that 11 such posts will soon be filled up.

The minister also said that necessary advice were given to parents for selection of institutions when Gambegre MLA Saleng Sangma urges the government to take measures to prevent students from getting duped by dummy (fake) institutions.