The internal squabble among the doctors probably prompted the State Government to remove Departmental Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme from the list of proposals on which the Cabinet deliberated on Tuesday. The delay in implementation of the scheme could cost the health services dearly as many of the newly selected medical officers could refuse to join their duties in absence of financial security.
The State public service commission had recently selected 421 doctors which as per the department rules would be compulsorily posted in the mountainous areas of the State. After waging a protracted battle with the State Government for implementation of Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP), the association of Government doctors the Provincial Medical and Health Services (PMHS) recently bifurcated on the issue of giving more increments to the specialist doctors of State health services.
There is an opinion among the specialist doctors that the leadership of the PMHS could surrender the benefits enjoyed by specialist doctors at the altar of DACP. At present these specialists get the benefit of assured increments at 3, 5 and 7 years of service. One of the senior doctor posted in Doon hospital said that the implementation of DACP is being delayed due to inaptness of the leadership of PMHS.
When contacted, the President of PHMS Dr B S Jangpangi said that DACP could not come up in the Cabinet meeting of Tuesday due to the absence of Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi. He said that a delegation of PMHS recently met Chief Minister Harish Rawat. In the meeting Rawat assured that the State Government is ready to give the benefit of DACP to doctors.
DACP if implemented would give the benefit of assured increase in the grade pay of the doctors after 4, 9, 13 and 20 years of the service irrespective of whether they get promotions or not. It is pertinent to mention here that neighbouring Uttar Pradesh has recently implemented this scheme. This scheme is also followed by the Central and many other State Governments. lack of an incentive like DACP is being cited as one of the main reason for loss of interest of young medical graduates in joining the State health services.