"With health services getting virtually paralysed in many government hospitals, primary and community health centres owing to shortage of doctors, the move will enable the State to offer better health facilities," Director General (Medical and Health) I.S. Srivastava said.

As per the decision, private medicos can offer their services to government hospitals, primary and community health centres on a daily or monthly basis. The remuneration norms have been fixed.

"Private doctors opting to serve government hospitals would be given Rs.1,000 per day. This has been conveyed to the chief medical officers (CMOs) of all the 71 districts," said Mr. Srivastava.

The strength of the Uttar Pradesh provincial medical service is 12,000, of which 5,000 posts are lying vacant. The government is expected to start hiring private doctors from the first week of July, the official said.

The state government had last week decided to go for campus recruitment of doctors for filling the vacant posts, the official added.