Join place of posting or pursue education: Govt to selected doctors

In a major decision meant to address acute shortage of doctors in under-served areas, the state government has ruled out providing any extension in joining time to the newly recruited medical officers who had requested for concessions to complete degrees. 

On 12 February, the health and medical education department issued an order in view of the directions issued by court in writ petitions filed by medical officers appointed recently. 

   

The order has given the doctors a time frame of 10 days, up to 21 February, for joining at the places of their posting. The date of joining has been extended, an official in H&ME department said, in view of the inclement weather “without any other changes in terms and conditions laid down in order 49-HME dated 14 January 2019”.

The order 49 has ruled out any concession of time to selected medical officers who had petitioned for an extension in view of their on-going degree courses or tenure positions or other prior engagements.

“In compliance with directions of Hon’ble High Court at Srinagar”, the order states, “no doctor selected as a medical officer will be allowed to continue with PG/tenures of senior residency/ registrarsjip/ demonstratorship”. 

“They will have only one choice either to opt for appointment or opt-out and continue with their educational commitments.”

An official in the H&ME said the order had been passed after directions of the High Court to the department to “come clear” on the issue involving medical officers seeking concessions in joining in view of their prior commitments education-wise.

Commissioner secretary health and medical education Atal Dulloo said the Government was clear that healthcare of people living in remote areas was its “first priority”. 

“If we have to choose between someone’s right to education and someone’s right to life, we are clear as to what will take precedence,” he said. He added that delay in providing doctors to people living in remote areas was resulting in “unspeakable hardships”.

While quoting Article 21 of the Constitution, the order states “Any deviation from the Govt order 49-HME will be against the interest of general public and is bound to defeat the very purpose of providing healthcare facilities to the people living in peripheral/far-flung areas of the state thereby infringing their right to live with dignity”.

Dulloo said that the government was not stopping “those interested in higher studies” but “making a mandatory intervention to save lives”. 

“Those interested in higher education can do so but posts cannot be held reserved for them,” he said. He added that the government had sought waiting list of 50 per cent of total posts advertised (500) and was ready to fill the posts falling vacant due to the new order immediately.

As per an official in health department, till date 450 medical officers have joined at their respective places of posting, while over 100 are not able to join due to closed roads. 

About 400 medical officers were waiting for a favourable court decision on their behalf as they are either pursuing post-graduation, or are engaged in residency or other tenure posts across medical colleges.

There is a gross shortage of doctors across peripheral healthcare system of J&K, currently further aggravated by strike of National Health Mission staff that completed a month today.

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