In an attempt to attract young medicos to its health services, the State Government is prepared to implement the Departmental Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme, but some medical experts believe that the scheme if implemented could actually boomerang as many serving doctors could leave their jobs once they get the third increment at end of 13 years of service.
The 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.
One of a senior medical officer not intending to be named told The Pioneer that the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh grants the third salary increment after 17 years of the services, which the State Government is planning to give at the end of 13 years only.
He said that the doctors, who had completed this duration of service could leave the State health service or migrate to administrative posts like Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) and Chief Medical Officers (CMO). For these posts, the required grad pay is Rs8,700, which the doctors after DACP would get after 13 years.
It is worth mentioning that the doctors of the State health service regularly lobby to be posted in the plains like Dehradun and Haridwar and shun services in the mountainous areas. The opinion that the doctors would leave their jobs once they ensure healthy pensions to them seems genuine as many in past has done so and joined some private hospital on lucrative packages.
The President of Provincial Medical Health Services (PMHS), Dr B S Jangpangi said that the concern that the doctors would leave their jobs is not genuine. He claimed that large number of doctors would join the State health service once they are made lucrative.
Dr Jangpangi said that some vested interests within the community of the doctors are spreading false notions as the State Government is planning to deprive those doctors, who have not completed minimum five years of service in the mountainous areas, of fourth and last increment at the end of 20 years of service. He claimed that these doctors, who have stayed in places like Dehradun for majority of their service, are spreading rumors to sabotage the implementation of DACP in State.
It is worth mentioning that both the Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi and Chief Minister Harish Rawat have reiterated their stand for implementation of DACP. The scheme could get the nod of the State Cabinet soon.