The fact that only 650 specialist doctors have applied in response to the requisition of 747 posts by Public Service Commission (PSC) of Uttarakhand is enough to highlight the reluctance of medical postgraduates to join the State health services.
The past experience of the PSC is also not good when it comes to recruitment of doctors. The Public Service Commission had released an advertisement for recruitment of 747 specialists of various medical streams in the month of September.
The PSC would conduct the interviews for these posts from December 23. The secretary of the Uttarakhand PSC, SN Pandey said that 650 candidates have been shortlisted for the interviews which would take place from December 23 to January 7.
The former President of Provincial Medical and Health Services (PMHS), Dr BC Ramola told The Pioneer that the specialist doctors would continue evading the Uttarakhand health services lest the State Government makes them more lucrative.
He said that on one hand, the Uttarakhand Government is dithering on implementing the Departmental Assured Career Progression (DACP), the neighbouring State of Uttar Pradesh has implemented the scheme. “Uttar Pradesh is regularly absorbing the newly passed out medical postgraduates and with implementation of DACP their services have become more attractive”, he said.
Uttar Pradesh has assured career progression for its doctors at the end of 4, 13, 17 and 24 years of service while the PMHS of Uttarakhand has consistently raised its demand for implementation of assured promotions at 4, 9, 13 and 20 years of service.
The PMHS insists that the doctors need additional financial security considering the fact that they spend more time in studies and are enrolled in the jobs at a comparatively higher age than their counterparts in other departments.
The health services of State hampered by acute shortage of specialist doctors. The departmental data suggest that out of 126 sanctioned posts of Surgeons 84 are lying vacant, similarly 99 posts of physicians, 57 posts of orthopedic surgeons, 98 posts of radiologists, 86 posts of pathologists, 110 posts of gynecologists, 37 posts of cardiologists and 30 posts of dermatologists are lying vacant.