A minimum service of five years in the mountainous areas of the State could be made mandatory for fourth and last promotion in the proposed Departmental Assured Career Progression (DACP) scheme for the Government doctors. In an effort to make the health services of the State attractive for young medicos the Uttarakhand Government has made up its mind to implement the DACP on the lines of Central Government. Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi have assured the association of Government doctors of the State the Provincial Medical and Health Services (PMHS) that the DACP would soon be put before the State Cabinet for approval.
According to the Dynamic Assured Carrier Progression (DACP) scheme the doctors would get assured increase in their grade pay after 4, 9, 13 and 20 years of the service. It is learnt that there is a clause in the proposed DACP which restricts the award of fourth and highest increment at end of 20 years of services to only those who have done minimum five years of service in the mountainous areas. Many doctors who are posted in the hospitals like Doon hospital for majority of their services are worried over this clause as they would be deprived of the highest increment once DACP is implemented.
President of the PMHS, Dr BS Jangpangi said that the proposal to link the increment with the minimum period of stay in the mountainous area is a welcome step. He said that the doctors, who are posted in the hospitals of plain areas for majority of their service periods are spreading misinformation campaign against the DACP. He listed the recent attempt by some doctors to split the PMHS on the issue of specialist and non specialist as one such attempt. Dr Jangpangi claimed that these doctors want to sabotage the DACP at any cost.