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Despite shortage, super-specialist doctors await posting
Despite a shortage of super-specialist doctors in the government sector, newly recruited doctors hired by the department of medical education have been waiting for their posting orders at worksites. Even a month after getting appointment letters, they couldn’t do the work they were hired for.
Despite a shortage of super-specialist doctors in the government sector, newly recruited doctors hired by the department of medical education have been waiting for their posting orders at worksites. Even a month after getting appointment letters, they couldn’t do the work they were hired for.
The doctors have been asked to report to the directorate of research and medical education (DRME) officer and are doing clerical work ever since their appointment letters were issued.
Notably, the department of medical education, after conducting a walk-in interview, had selected many super-specialist doctors for Government Medical College and Hospitals in Patiala and Amritsar, which are tertiary healthcare institutes. The super-specialist doctors were given joining orders on November 23.
“They have been asked to mark their attendance at the DRME office. Sometimes, we send them to department-related meetings,” said a senior official of the DRME.
A few super-specialist doctors had resigned in the past citing doing other work than surgeries.
A senior doctor of the medical education department said, “They are being asked to perform clerical work instead of clinical work. Super-specialist doctors rarely join the government sector and not allowing them to perform clinical work is like insulting them.”
When asked about the delay in giving posting orders, Punjab medical education minister Dr Balbir said, “We couldn’t issue orders as we had to complete promotions of already serving doctors otherwise there would be seniority issues, which will result in litigations. We are already facing a lot of litigation. As soon as we complete this process, we will give them posting orders.”
