E-Paper
Transfer of doctors: U.P. sets up probe panel to look into irregularities in shifting
The health department has set up a five-member committee to examine the alleged irregularities across the state in the transfer of doctors by the health directorate
The health department has set up a five-member committee to examine the alleged irregularities across the state in the transfer of doctors by the health directorate.
For the alleged irregularities in the transfer of senior doctors, health minister Brajesh Pathak has asked the ACS, health, to submit a report.
“The committee is expected to examine the representation made by doctors from different cadres and submit a report within three-days,” said the office order issued by director-general, medical and health, Dr Lilly Singh.
The committee includes different doctors working on administrative posts in the health department. These are Dr Ashok Kumar, director, CMSD; Dr Avinash Kumar Singh, director, infectious diseases; Dr Abha Verma, director, national programme; Dr Shailesh Kumar Srivastava, additional director, PHC; and Dr Pankaj Saxena, joint director, infectious diseases.
Till Wednesday, the health directorate had got over 250 applications from doctors stating that they had been transferred against the transfer policy. Also, many other doctors have applied for cancellation of their transfer on humane grounds, giving medical reasons.
Doctors’ info went unused
Apparently, information regarding the status of doctors with the health department wasn’t used while transfers were being made, and this became the key reason for the alleged anomalies.
The names of two doctors who died due to illness were also on the transfer list. The family of one of them, who was posted in Prayagraj, got his transfer order 12 days after his death and the other doctor who died on June 12 also got a transfer order.
“Nearly two months earlier the directorate had asked for information regarding posting of doctors, their careers in specific districts and even asked us to fill a choice of places we would like to get transfers. All that information remained ignored when the transfer list came,” said Dr Amit Singh, general secretary, Provincial Medical Services Association (PMSA), a body of government doctors.
Among applications for rectification include those doctors who have less than two years of service left. “If someone has less than two years of service, this is reflected in their service record. How can such a person be transferred when the transfer policy says that that person should not be transferred, unless he demands it himself,” said Dr Singh.
A large number of applications also came where doctors were transferred within one year of their previous transfer. “All transfers are recorded, hence, data regarding previous transfer too is with the health directorate. Despite this, these transfers were ordered,” said Dr Singh.
