HC reprieve for 44 super-specialist docs

Forty-four super-specialist doctors will not have to waste their expertise working as ordinary medical officers at civic hospitals in the city. Kanchan Chaudhari reports.

Forty-four super-specialist doctors will not have to waste their expertise working as ordinary medical officers at civic hospitals in the city.

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Thanks to the timely intervention of the Bombay high court, which directed the director, Medical Education and Major hospitals of Greater Mumbai, on Friday, to identify vacant posts of assistant professors in any state-run, civic or defence hospital across Maharashtra for the super-specialists doctors holding degrees such as doctor of medicine (DM) or master of chirurgical (MCh).

The directive assumes importance in view of the fact that there are only 70 seats of super-specialty courses across Maharashtra, and the super specialists put in a total 12 years intense medical education before getting their degrees.

All the 44 doctors had moved the high court after receiving orders on June 9 from the director asking them to join civic hospitals in Mumbai for a two-year bond period. The doctors, as stated in their petition, were shocked to find that they were to join the civic hospitals as either medical officers or registrars, posts at which ordinary medical graduates are appointed.

They had moved the court that under the guise of a bond, the authorities could not impose unreasonable terms and conditions upon them. Their counsel, Anil Anturkar, argued that they were not averse to serving for two years as per bond conditions, they should be appointed on posts of either assistant professors or lecturers, which they are entitled to.

“Asking them to join on posts of medical officers will be against public interest,” their petition stated, adding, “After completing super specialty courses they cannot be asked to perform work of graduate level candidates.”

The whole exercise of service bond period would be wastage of public money and resources and under utilisation of highly qualified persons.