The state government is planning to suspend newly appointed allopathic doctors, who have been absent from duty for long periods, after giving them show cause notices. It then will go for recruitment of new doctors to fill vacant posts across the state.
In throes of a peculiar problem where new recruits went on leave from the first place of posting, the Department of Health is mulling issuing show cause notices to more than 200 doctors.
“Doctors who have been on unauthorized leave have been asked to explain and then will be issued suspension letters. The problem has become acute and stern action needs to be taken. I have asked the chief medical officers of all districts to issue show cause notices to these doctors,” said Director General, Health, Dr RP Bhatt.
The directorate said there were more than 200 doctors who had joined and later proceeded on leave for an indefinite period. These doctors were appointed early this year through the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission. Out 388 doctors, around 145 had joined while around 200 have been absconding from the first place of their posting.
“People are complaining about the shortage of doctors in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in hill districts. We are faced with the problem of newly recruited doctors shunning hill postings. Most of them were made aware that according to the state policy, the first place of posting will be in a hill district. These doctors are also lured by private hospitals who offer them big salaries,” said Dr Bhatt.
He said the government would publish notices and then dismiss the absent doctors from job. The health authorities said since the state government had appointed these doctors, a one-month notice would be served on them before dismissing them from job. The government has already stopped paying them salaries.
Further, once a clear picture emerges on the absent doctors, the government will be able to carry out fresh recruitment against the vacant posts. “Even with fresh recruitment, we will be able to get around 10 to 15 doctors. It will help us tide over the problem of shortage of doctors in the hill districts,” said a senior official.
In throes of a peculiar problem where new recruits went on leave from the first place of posting, the Department of Health is mulling issuing show cause notices to more than 200 doctors.
“Doctors who have been on unauthorized leave have been asked to explain and then will be issued suspension letters. The problem has become acute and stern action needs to be taken. I have asked the chief medical officers of all districts to issue show cause notices to these doctors,” said Director General, Health, Dr RP Bhatt.
The directorate said there were more than 200 doctors who had joined and later proceeded on leave for an indefinite period. These doctors were appointed early this year through the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission. Out 388 doctors, around 145 had joined while around 200 have been absconding from the first place of their posting.
“People are complaining about the shortage of doctors in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in hill districts. We are faced with the problem of newly recruited doctors shunning hill postings. Most of them were made aware that according to the state policy, the first place of posting will be in a hill district. These doctors are also lured by private hospitals who offer them big salaries,” said Dr Bhatt.
He said the government would publish notices and then dismiss the absent doctors from job. The health authorities said since the state government had appointed these doctors, a one-month notice would be served on them before dismissing them from job. The government has already stopped paying them salaries.
Further, once a clear picture emerges on the absent doctors, the government will be able to carry out fresh recruitment against the vacant posts. “Even with fresh recruitment, we will be able to get around 10 to 15 doctors. It will help us tide over the problem of shortage of doctors in the hill districts,” said a senior official.
