Over 200 doctors to join paramilitary forces

More than 200 newly recruited doctors, including specialists, are set to join paramilitary forces like CRPF and ITBP, providing troops in operations with the much-awaited medical cover.

More than 200 newly recruited doctors, including specialists, are set to join paramilitary forces like CRPF and ITBP, providing troops in operations with the much-awaited medical cover.

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This is the first pool of the medical officers that will join the forces in the last several years. There are total vacancies of 259 posts for specialist medical officers, 283 posts for medical officers and 18 posts for dental surgeons in forces like BSF, SSB, Assam Rifles, CRPF and ITBP.

The forces, deployed for law and order, counter-insurgency, anti-Naxal operations and other security related duties, have been facing an acute shortage of medical officers and doctors in their ranks.

While 34 specialist doctors in the streams of Opthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Surgery have been cleared in the first lot, names of another batch of 190 doctors have been approved for posting with various paramilitary units.

"The present strength of the medical cadre in such forces is not sufficient as the troops are being deployed extensively for internal security duties. With the focus on anti-Naxal and counter-insurgency operations, the requirement to have specialist doctors in the ranks has been felt," a paramilitary officer said.

The new medical officers will be designated combat ranks of Deputy Commandants and Assistant Commandants and can serve the forces for at least ten years with a two-year probation period.

The move to get fresh doctors recruited in the forces assumes significance as the Home Ministry is also in the process of raising a strength equivalent to 123 new battalions for different forces which would be coming up in the next two-three years.