He, however, asserted that the shortage of government doctors in Uttar Pradesh will be over very soon as the recruitment of specialist doctors has already started.

According to official data, against a sanctioned strength of 19,000, Uttar Pradesh has around 12,000 doctors at government facilities across the state. However, there are of complaints that many doctors do not attend duty at the place of posting. ?

"Over 50 absentee doctors have been sacked and notices served to 724 government doctors found continuously missing from their place of posting," Pathak, who is also in charge of the Medical Health and Family Welfare Department, told PTI in an interview.

Asked about the shortage of doctors in the state, he said, "For the first time, the Uttar Pradesh government has started recruiting specialist doctors by paying a salary of Rs 5 lakh per month. I am happy to say that a large number of specialist doctors are coming to Uttar Pradesh.''

Enquired about the number of specialist doctors that have been recruited, he replied that 'hundreds of specialist doctors have been recruited" and the shortage of doctors will be over very soon.

Over Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's allegation that the state's health services are in bad shape, the deputy chief minister said, "The Samajwadi Party has been derailed. He (Akhilesh Yadav) does not remember his tenure (as CM). The party is confined only to Twitter and social media."

"Just ask him how many times the health minister in his government (2012-2017) visited hospitals to know the conditions there. During the Samajwadi party rule, The health department had become a den of looters and plunderers. Now, the BJP government has got the opportunity to serve the people and we are serving everyone."

On the issue of shortage of resources in the government hospitals, Pathak said, "Today, medicines are available in all the hospitals of Uttar Pradesh. The doctors are attending duty on time. Work to start medical colleges in all 75 districts of the state is underway while 65 medical colleges are already functioning."

To a question on the government's initiative to further improve the healthcare sector of the state, he said, "Our priority is to provide primary health services in about 21,000 sub-centres in the state by establishing Health Wellness Centres".

In the Health Wellness Centres, patients are being provided pathology services and vaccination facilities for mothers and children while treatment of seriously ill patients is being provided by opening sub-centres for a population of 5,000, Pathak said, adding, "We are getting great success in this."

Pathak also said that around 50,000 people avail treatment every day through the e-Sanjeevani App, which allows patients to talk to specialist doctors online.

About the Centre's ambitious drive to provide Ayushman Bharat Card, the Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister said there are around 3.10 crore cardholders in the state.