Officials tracing doctors who broke two-year bond
By Sinduja Jane | Express News Service | Published: 25th May 2017 01:41 AM |
CHENNAI: Facing a shortage of experts in district and taluk-level hospitals across the State, Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) officials have traced as many as 400 postgraduate doctors who broke the two-year bond guaranteed by them to the government.
After tracking such cases in the last six months, DMS officials have issued notices to them, said sources.
The rules mandate that non-service doctors who earn post-graduation degrees in government medical colleges should work in government hospitals for two years after completion of the degree under the bond.
If they abandon work in between, they have to pay a fine depending on the amount fixed at the period of completing the PG course. For example, a student who graduated in 2013 needs to pay a fine of around `5 lakh. But those from the latest batch have to shell out over `20 lakh.
“There are an adequate number of doctors to manage the workload at medical college hospitals. The shortage is with the hospitals that come under the Directorate of Medical Services, like district headquarters and taluk hospitals, where the service is getting affected. To manage the situation, the government has deputed doctors to such places where there is a shortage,” a senior health department official told Express.
Officials are not amused that those who manage to get seats in government institutions have failed to honour their commitment. This is in sharp contrast with the service category doctors who gain admission into PG courses and work in the government sector until retirement. They were up in arms recently when the court ruled against a quota in PG courses for service doctors serving in rural and remote areas.
DMS officials hence began tracking those who completed postgraduate degrees at publicly-funded medical colleges but have not joined the service as per the bond conditions.
“We are now tracking these doctors who abandoned service after completing PG degree so as to solve the shortage. In the last six months, over 400 postgraduate doctors have been issued a notice, directing them to join work. Till now, about 80 have joined. We are still tracking the rest, it is an ongoing process,” said Dr P Banu, Director of Medical Services.
However, absentee doctors this newspaper spoke to, cited heavy workload, long duty hours and paltry stipend as some of the reasons for abandonment.
“Many a time, there are personal issues as well. When I sought a transfer to some other district, officials did not grant the request. Instead, a health department official asked for `10 lakh as a bribe to get me the transfer. When I tried to explain my situation, they did not understand, forcing me to abandon the service,” said a doctor, on condition of anonymity.
“I am entitled to study in any institution I prefer. But using that, pushing me into a bond system is not fair. It is a violation of my fundamental rights,” the doctor argued.
By Sinduja Jane | Express News Service | Published: 25th May 2017 01:41 AM |
CHENNAI: Facing a shortage of experts in district and taluk-level hospitals across the State, Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) officials have traced as many as 400 postgraduate doctors who broke the two-year bond guaranteed by them to the government.
After tracking such cases in the last six months, DMS officials have issued notices to them, said sources.
The rules mandate that non-service doctors who earn post-graduation degrees in government medical colleges should work in government hospitals for two years after completion of the degree under the bond.
If they abandon work in between, they have to pay a fine depending on the amount fixed at the period of completing the PG course. For example, a student who graduated in 2013 needs to pay a fine of around `5 lakh. But those from the latest batch have to shell out over `20 lakh.
“There are an adequate number of doctors to manage the workload at medical college hospitals. The shortage is with the hospitals that come under the Directorate of Medical Services, like district headquarters and taluk hospitals, where the service is getting affected. To manage the situation, the government has deputed doctors to such places where there is a shortage,” a senior health department official told Express.
Officials are not amused that those who manage to get seats in government institutions have failed to honour their commitment. This is in sharp contrast with the service category doctors who gain admission into PG courses and work in the government sector until retirement. They were up in arms recently when the court ruled against a quota in PG courses for service doctors serving in rural and remote areas.
DMS officials hence began tracking those who completed postgraduate degrees at publicly-funded medical colleges but have not joined the service as per the bond conditions.
“We are now tracking these doctors who abandoned service after completing PG degree so as to solve the shortage. In the last six months, over 400 postgraduate doctors have been issued a notice, directing them to join work. Till now, about 80 have joined. We are still tracking the rest, it is an ongoing process,” said Dr P Banu, Director of Medical Services.
However, absentee doctors this newspaper spoke to, cited heavy workload, long duty hours and paltry stipend as some of the reasons for abandonment.
“Many a time, there are personal issues as well. When I sought a transfer to some other district, officials did not grant the request. Instead, a health department official asked for `10 lakh as a bribe to get me the transfer. When I tried to explain my situation, they did not understand, forcing me to abandon the service,” said a doctor, on condition of anonymity.
“I am entitled to study in any institution I prefer. But using that, pushing me into a bond system is not fair. It is a violation of my fundamental rights,” the doctor argued.
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