Lucknow, July 22 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh will launch a reward scheme to encourage government doctors to undertake jobs in villages, a senior official said Tuesday. “Under the upcoming scheme, doctors working in villages and other far-flung areas will now be rewarded for their good work,” Director General (Medical and Health) I.S. Srivastava told IANS.

Cash prizes and certificates would be given to those doctors, who work with devotion and perform their duties religiously, he added.

Significantly, at present over 1,000 posts of doctors in various districts and villages are lying vacant, according to the state Provincial Medical Services Association (PMS).

“As doctors are not generally interested to work in villages, they prefer leaving their jobs after gaining some experience. As a result, presently 1,000-odd posts of medicos are lying vacant,” said D.P. Mishra, president of Uttar Pradesh PMS.

For giving prizes and other rewards to the rural doctors, the state government has earmarked Rs.10 million for the health department, officials said.

“The move intends to retain doctors in villages for upgrading the medical standards of rural Uttar Pradesh,” said the DG Medical and Health.