Rural medical officers declared ‘dying cadre’

Chandigarh, November 24

When the state is witnessing the worst-ever breakouts of epedemics, the rural medical officers (RMOs) have been officially declared a ‘dying cadre’.

The situation is such that the state government is continuously withdrawing from the rural healthcare services for the past several years. To provide good healthcare facilities to people living in rural areas, the government had handed over 1,186 dispensaries to the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats. But the department failed to frame promotion rules for these employees and also could not fill posts which fell vacant due to resignation of doctors. The outcome is that now, just 560 doctors are left in the department as recently, the government declared RMOs as a ‘dying cadre’.

Sanjeev Garg, Deputy Director, Rural Development, said after the decision, whichever post falls vacant would be shifted to the Health Department. Dr Deepinder Bhasin, president, Rural Medical Officers’ Association, said during Covid, the mortality rate in the rural areas was high. “Instead of killing rural healthcare, the government should depute more doctors and fill vacant posts,” he said. — TNS