Few contemplating leaving their jobs
The State Government's plan to send some senior doctors to the mountainous areas could backfire as some doctors are contemplating leaving the government jobs instead of joining new postings.
The medical health department under pressure from the State Chief Minister Harish Rawat constituted a transfer policy for the doctors. Under this policy, the department has done promotions of 88 Senior Medical Officers (SMO) to Joint Directors (JD). The policy mandates that the promoted doctors have to serve in the mountainous districts for two years.
This clause is irking the promoted doctors who are posted in the districts like Dehradun and Haridwar as they do not wish to go to remote areas. These doctors are using every trick to remain attached in the comfort of Dehradun and Haridwar due to which the department has not released the list yet.
The plea of these doctors is that since they have completed mandatory 10 years in the mountainous districts, they should be exempted from serving another two years in the remote areas.
In the promotion list, 11 doctors posted in Doon hospital here are slated to be transferred to the mountainous districts. Since many of these doctors are working in Dehradun for many years, they have established good rapport with the private hospital owners due which these doctors are planning to take premature retirement from the government service and join lucrative jobs in private hospitals .
The General Secretary of Provincial Medical and Health Services (PMHS) Dr S K Goswami told The Pioneer that it is very unfortunate that many doctors who have served in the plain districts are putting obstacles in the way of their colleagues who are posted for years in the remote areas.
He said that PMHS fully supports the transfer policy which is totally justified and transparent.