In view of the severe shortage of specialist doctors in the State health services, the State government has decided to raise the retirement age of these doctors from the existing 60 years to 65 years. A proposal in this regard would be brought before the State cabinet soon. This decision was taken in the meeting of the Health department chaired by Health minister Dhan Singh Rawat on Saturday. In the meeting the decisions to create a separate cadre of specialist doctors and their salary hike were also taken. Rawat directed the officers to prepare a proposal incorporating these decisions within a week. In the meeting it was also decided that doctors on fixed salary will be appointed to the posts which are presently vacant. There are many vacant posts of medical officers due to non availability of candidates from reserved categories in the State Health department. A decision to create some temporary posts in the department as an alternative to the serving MBBS doctors who are on study leave to complete their post graduation was also taken in the meeting. In another important decision, the minister directed the officers to revive all the posts of technicians in the department. Rawat said that there are 1,300 vacant posts in technical cadre in the Health department and against these posts the cabinet had given approval to fill only 250 posts in the past. He said that the department needs services of all these 1,300 technicians and for it all the posts will be revived so that shortage of technicians in primary health centres , community health centres, sub district hospitals and district hospitals is resolved.

 In an attempt to remove the shortage of faculty members in the government medical colleges, the State government has decided to raise the maximum age limit for the post of professors to 62 years from the existing 50 years.  The retirement age of professors will remain 65 years. Rawat said that the decision will pave the way for appointment of professors and associate professors to 156 vacant posts in the government medical colleges of the State. A decision to raise the salaries of the super specialty doctors in cardiology, urology, nephrology, radiology, neuro- surgery, plastic and burn surgeries was also taken in the meeting.

The meeting was attended by the deputy chairperson of national rural health and monitoring committee Suresh Bhatt, chief secretary SS Sandhu, health secretary R Rajesh Kumar and additional secretary Namami Bansal, director general of health Dr Vinita Shah, director of medical education Dr Ashutosh Sayana and others.