New docs reluctant to sign bond

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 24

Doctors appointed at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) seem reluctant to sign its five-year service bond. As many as 81 doctors issued appointment letters recently were asked to sign the bond or submit a surety for Rs 25 lakh at the rate of Rs 5 lakh per year.

As per the appointment letter, a doctor cannot apply for any job during the first five years of joining. Any doctor who violates the bond will have to pay Rs 5 lakh for each year not served.

Doctors are hesitating from joining given the bond conditions. “A person spends a huge amount to be a qualified doctor and now he/she has to furnish a bond or a surety for Rs 5 lakh for each year while the salary would be Rs 70,000-80,000 per month, said a doctor.

Another doctor, said, “Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College has not been recognised by the MCI so far and faculty recruited in 2012 has not been promoted. Upon that such conditions put doctors under stress.”

This was not communicated to us when we applied, said a doctor, who quit a job elsewhere following selection at KCGMC.

Dr Surinder Kashyap, director of the Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, said the decision to make the doctors sign the bond was in the interest of the institute .He said several doctors were willing to join the hospital.

Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College is yet to be recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI) which is expected to visit the college in November.