It appears as if the Government doctors of Uttarakhand are suffering from a phobia of being transferred to the mountainous areas. Out of 108 doctors who were promoted recently, only 82 have joined duties at the new places of their posting.
Taking a serious view on this issue the State Government has asked the office of Director General (DG) of medical health and family welfare to submit it the list of the doctors who have not joined their duties. The DG Medical health and family welfare Dr GS Joshi told The Pioneer that 75 per cent of the doctors have joined their duties after the promotions.
He informed that some doctors have cited medical reasons for not joining even after being relieved and medical board would take decisions on such cases.
Interestingly, the medical, health and family welfare department promoted 108 senior medical officers to the ranks of joint directors (JDs) as per the new transfer policy.
The policy mandates that on every promotion, the doctors have to give compulsory service for two years in these areas. The departmental sources revealed that many doctors who were posted in the places like Dehradun and Haldwani tried every possible trick so that they are not disturbed.
Some doctors managed to get their postings in desired places after promotion, on medical grounds. Interestingly these doctors on the information of postings at favourable places personally took orders from the DG office and joined immediately without wasting time while others who got postings in the mountainous locations are dragging their feet on joining even after being relieved.
Many doctors who have joined their duties are trying hard to leave the mountainous locations and some of the doctors are contemplating taking premature retirement as after joining new posting as JDs they are eligible for much higher pensions.
One of the retired doctors said that doctors like other Government officers find it hard to deal with the life in mountainous areas and as the options to join the private hospitals and open their own clinics make them easily leave the Government job.