Docs' absenteeism in counselling session worries health dept

Absenteeism in the ongoing counselling process for appointment of new doctors is worrying the health department officials. The Uttarakhand Public Service Commission had recently selected 421 doctors for appointment in the health department of the State which is reeling under acute shortage of doctors. The department is conducting a three-day counselling process at health directorate; on first two days, 280 candidates were called for counselling out of which 95 doctors refused to even attend the session. The past history proves that many doctors leave jobs after they are posted.

On the first day of counseling 50 newly selected medicos called it quits while on the second day on Friday only 95 candidates appeared out of total 140. The health department is doing its best to woo the medicos and started a transparent process of counseling for allotment of Community Health Centres (CHC) and Primary health Centres (PHC). 

The candidates are asked to give their options to the counseling team which tries to accommodate them in the place of their choice. The Director General (DG) of health services DR G S Joshi is himself chairing the counselling sessions of the doctors.  The female candidates are being given postings in the health centres located within 26 kms of the railway head or a place which is having accommodation facilities.

Outside the venue of counseling session the candidates were seen inquiring about the distance and facilities in the CHC and PHC where vacant posts of medical officers are there. One of the candidates told this correspondent that he would join his duty and if the place is not suitable he would leave the job and join some private hospital in Dehradun. 

On Friday Pauri district received 24 doctors while 10 opted for Tehri, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi got nine doctors each. Dehardun district received two, Almora 21, Nainital nine, Pithoragarh three, Champawat four while Chamoli and Bageshwar got two doctors each at the end of counseling on Friday.