Guidelines to decide fate of absent doctors

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 21

As several doctors are unauthorisedly absent from duties, the state authorities have come up with guidelines to expedite their termination and fill the vacancies.

The government has formed a three-member committee headed by the director, finance, health and medical education, to examine cases of doctors on unauthorised absence and make specific recommendations.

Official figures reveal that 80 doctors are absent from duty for the past several years in the health department. Due to this, the healthcare is suffering in the state. At the same time, the state has no quick solution to terminate their services and fill the vacancies.

Nearly 200 doctors have been terminated from services in the past one year for being on unauthorised leave and working outside J&K. Some of those have been absent from duties since 2002.

The committee has been asked to take cognisance of the difficulties being faced by general public due to authorised or unauthorised absence of doctors. “It will examine whether all pre-requisite conditions have been fulfilled prior to deciding authorised or unauthorised period of absence,” reads the order.

The government has entrusted the committee to see whether the head of the department has furnished specific proposal or recommendation along with the documentary evidence of doctors going on long leave. The committee will examine the intent of recommending permission to doctors and paramedics to undergo higher studies prior to formal approval or sanction of study leave by the competent authority.

It will also examine all repercussions in allowing doctors to rejoin after an unauthorised absence and discourage such practice by doctors who are habitual.

The committee has been asked to submit its recommendations based on proper rationale, reasonable justification and documentary evidence.