Dr Kusum Narriyal would be the longest serving Director-General in the annals of State health services if she assumes the coveted office on January 31.
She is scheduled to retire on November 30, 2017 which gives her a full 22 months at the helm of State health services. In the last 15 years the health services has seen as many D-Gs with Dr I P Pal being the first Director- General of state health services when the new State was created.
Dr Narriyal would be third woman DG with Dr Prem lata Joshi and Dr Asha Mathur having served in the top health department post in past. However the task before the new DG would be to resurrect the health services of state plagued by the acute shortage of doctors.
The doctors of the Provincial Medical Health Services (PMHS) are up in arms against the government and have declared to work boycott from February 02 on the issue of Departmental Assured Career Progression (DACP).
Maintaining the supply of medicines in the government health facilities would be another important task before Dr Narriyal if she assumes chargeon Saturday.