According to estimates of Health Deptt, the number of doctors who are absent from their stations of duty (meaning the place of posting) presently is around 300. The State has a shortage of doctors to the tune of 275 all over the State. Previous Health Minister, too, had taken serious note of absentee doctors and had directed them to return to the State. Most of them are doing practice with private clinics or have found jobs in foreign countries. Minister of Health, Medical Education and ARI & Trainings, like his predecessor, has taken very serious note of these doctors remaining absent from their duty. He intends to issue them final warning and those who fail to report, are likely to be dismissed. Their vacancies will be filled by unemployed doctors.
This is a bizarre situation. In the first place how can a doctor employed with the Health Department remain absent for long time and the Department does not take cognizance of it. Secondly, if the Government has any dependable information that the absentee doctors have taken up jobs with private clinics or are serving in some foreign country, that gives good reason to the Government to dismiss them from service. Why did the Government wait such a long time? Obviously, these absentee doctors are politically well connected and they can mange things according to their convenience. Influential doctors manage to remain posted at convenient places for long time while a number of rural hospitals are without doctors. This is what has been confessed by the Health Minister. In a situation like this, there seems no justification for the Government to allow any concession to the absentee doctors. It is reported that the minister is to take action within one week. Those who do not report back will be off the rolls of the Department and the vacancies thus created will be filled by unemployed candidates. We appreciate this step but at the same time the people at large would like to know how these doctors could manage to be away from duty for years together and take up another job yet claim to be the employees of State Health Department. It seems nothing short of a paradox.
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