Uttarakhand Government Terminates Absent Doctors

Dehradun: In a move to enhance the healthcare facilities and create job vacancies, the Uttarakhand government has announced the termination of 118 doctors. These doctors have been absent from their duties for years without any explanation.

The health department has identified these doctors across all 13 districts.

The state health minister, Dhan Singh Rawat, confirmed that the newly appointed doctors would be appointed to replace the ones who have been terminated for their services. This decision has come through after reviewing the attendance of the doctors on duty. The department aims to complete the termination process in two weeks. A proposal for 276 new posts has already been submitted to the Health Service Selection Board, highlighting the state's commitment to swiftly filling these positions.

Also Read: 5-year-old dies of fever at UP Hospital: 2 doctors terminated, 2 suspended for watching cricket during duty

As per the recent media report by the Times of India, “These are doctors not just in remote locations but in the plains as well. They have not reported for work not just for weeks or months, but years–some as long as six years. Warnings were issued to them in the past as well, and now they were given a final notice saying they have 14 days to resume their duties and provide an explanation to the directorate general for their absence. Only an extremely genuine reason can be acceptable for this kind of lapse in duty," said Dr Anil Mohan Johri, joint director of the health department.

Johri added that while the service termination sends a strong message to other absentee doctors, it will also help create vacancies within the department that can be filled by young doctors ready to serve the public.

Also Read: Doctor terminated for not prescribing Generic Medicine gets CAT relief

Sources from the health department have revealed that many of the absent doctors have opted to pursue private practice after being promoted to senior positions. This has contributed to the absenteeism of these doctors in the healthcare system, raising serious concerns about public health.