BENGALURU: Health minister K Sudhakar on Monday said the state government has completed hiring 1,763 doctors, including 715 specialists, for its hospitals across Karnataka. At a time when the government is struggling to get specialised doctors, these hirings will ease the pressure. “We’ve completed the process and gazetted the new recruitments,” said Sudhakar. Of the new hires, 715 specialists, including 75 MD (general medicine), 57 surgeons, 142 anaesthesiologists and 153 paediatricians, are on government rolls. “Our biggest recruitment is of anaesthesiologists who are critical in the pandemic crisis for operating ventilators,” he said. The government received a rather lukewarm response from radiologists. Meanwhile, to strengthen Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres, the health department has hired 1,048 persons for around 3,000 locations. Sudhakar said the government will try to post doctors in their home towns. “As far as possible, all doctors will be given a choice of their native districts and taluks,” he said. He added that the government will provide risk allowance for all contract medical practitioners and Group D workers who wear PPE kits.