Medical officers of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), paramilitary force or the Central Armed Police Force designated to secure vital installations, are miffed over a recent decision to strip them of their combatised ranks.
Now onwards, these officers will be known in the civilian nomenclature of medical officers or chief medical officers. The combatised ranks are devised for the purpose of discipline, command and control only but the same cannot be used in official communications.
According to a recent CISF communication, the paramilitary clarified that now onwards medical officers will carry their general designations like chief medical officer and not as Assistant Commandant, Deputy Commandant or Deputy Inspector General who head the respective medical branches of a paramilitary force.
Referring to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Medical Cadre Recruitment Rules 1997, the CISF communication further said the combatised ranks for officers in the cadre is for the purpose of discipline, command and control only but the same were not used in official communications.
Unhappy with the decision, a senior medical officer of a Force said doctors joining paramilitary forces are driven by the zeal to serve the nation by working in harsh, hostile or tough conditions and it is the pride of the uniform and the rank which is a key motivator for the medical officers.
“The combatised ranks instill a sense of pride and an identity of a uniformed service. Minus the ranks, what is the difference between us and other medical professionals in the government services or even private hospitals who derive better salary packages and working conditions. The combatised ranks differentiate us from the civilians,” another senior medical officer of another paramilitary said on condition of anonymity.
“These officers (medical) are not recruited for combat duties and as per their RRs (recruitment rules), combatised ranks are for regulating discipline and command & control in the Force (wherever they are posted), combatised ranks cannot be suffixed in the existing medically sounding ranks of these officers,” the CISF clarified in its recent communication for the medical branch.
The CISF communication also mentioned that as per clarification from the ITBP, the rank of medical cadre are, Medical Officer, Senior Medical Officer, Chief Medical Officer (OG), Chief Medical Officer (SG) and Director (Medical) and the same are printed on the ID card of medical cadre officers.
The doctors are on deputation to the CISF from the ITBP. The doctors in the ITBP still carry the combatised ranks like Commandant (Medical), DIG (Medical) and IG (Medical). This is another reason why the medical officers in the CISF feel the decision is discriminatory.