Quitting jobs to cost docs dear

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 3

To overcome the shortage of almost 550 doctors and specialists in the state, the Health and Family Welfare Department is proposing to enhance bond money to be furnished by doctors to Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore.

The government is in the process of formulating a new Human Resource Policy for the Health Department which will lay down the norms -- bond money for doctors, postings in rural areas, norms for eligibility for postgraduation for in-service doctors.

“We propose to enhance the bond money to be furnished by MBBS doctors and MD specialists from Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore in the form of bank guarantee,” confirmed Kaul Singh, Health and Family Welfare.

He said the new policy and proposal to enhance the bond money would be placed before the Cabinet for approval. “MBBS doctors will not be allowed to seek voluntary retirement before 20 years of service failing which they will have to furnish a Rs 50 lakh bond and in case of specialists, if they want to quit job, they will have to deposit Rs 1 crore,” he explained.

There have been several cases when doctors serving in the department have quit without intimating the government and in some cases moved abroad without furnishing the bond which they had pledged in case of quitting their job. In fact, there has not been much headway with regard to the cases filed against such doctors.

The Health Department has a vacancy of 550 doctors, both MBBS and MD, in a total cadre strength of 2,197. In order to meet the requirement of doctors, walk-in interviews are being held every Tuesday so that there is no vacancy of doctors, especially in the remote and tribal areas of the state.

Prabodh Saxena, Principal Secretray (Health), said the new policy for doctors would be framed keeping in view the latest Supreme Court directives with regard to amendments made to the Medical Council of India (MCI) regulations. He said the issue would be discussed threadbare with the Director, Medical Education, and principals of the Government Medical Colleges.