The uncertainty over the job profile of contractual medical officers continues over whether they should be assigned responsibilities of important posts or not.
However, health department officials claimed that they can be placed in the any type of medical jobs as it is being always mentioned in the contract bond, which they sign at the start of their service in the State.
Even though over a decade has passed since the formation of Uttarakhand, the acute shortage of medical officers and para-medical staff is still prevailing in the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand.
The situation is worst in the tough hilly terrains of the State as either doctors or para-medical staff are not coming forward to join the state medical cadre despite the fact that attractive perks and terms have been regularly offered by the department.
Department figures clearly highlighted that around 1,200 posts of doctors have been lying vacant in district hospitals, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), health centres and First Referral Units (FRUs) across the State since the formation of Uttarakhand. Among the worst affected districts where shortage of medical officers and graded specialists has become a
perennial problem are Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Haridwar, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat, Rudraprayag etc. Well-established sources revealed that out of 2,400 posts of medical officers, 1,200 medical officers are working and out of that, around 400 are contractual medical officers working in the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand.
"Most of the health centres in the remote areas are running without doctors since medicos are not interested to join the centres," one of the department sources who wished anonymity told The Pioneer, adding that contractual medical officers who have passed MBBS can easily perform any kind of medical activity depending upon their grade.
He told department always give preference to appoint the contractual medical officers in the tough hilly terrains of the State and said that contractual medical officers could be appointed on VIP duties in case of non-availability of the medical officers in the respective Government establishments in the districts.
While speaking to The Pioneer, Dr BC Ramola, State President, Provincial Medical Health Services Association, said that contractual doctors are bound to perform every kind of medical duties which also include emergency and postmortem duties as per the court's order.
He said that the decision would be proved beneficial for providing the best medical facilities to patients.