Delhi Government move draws doctors' ire

Article taken from newspaper.

In a move that has drawn severe criticism from physicians, the Delhi Government has asked its doctors working on deputation with the Central Government to now select the service they want to remain with.

In an announcement affecting over 1,500 doctors in Delhi, the State Health and Family Welfare Department said: "All members of the Central Health Service working under the Delhi Government are being informed that the State Government has decided to pull out its pool of civil posts of doctors. It will also constitute a new Group `A' civil service know as the `Delhi Health Service' for all Allopathic doctors."

"The Government has accordingly decided to seek options from the existing members of the Central Health Service as to whether anyone of them would like to be considered for appointment to the new service. Broadly speaking, the terms and conditions of the service for the members shall be similar to that of other Group `A' service of the Government of Delhi," said a senior health official.

Members of the Delhi Administration Doctors' Welfare Association meanwhile have criticised this latest move stating that the proposed model of the Delhi Health Service had not been subjected to sufficient consultation with all stakeholders before its finalisation and most of the physicians continue to remain unaware about the details of the model.

"We have been instructed that doctors who are interested for being considered for the appointment to the new service may please put in their request by March 15. We have also been informed that in case option is not received by the stipulated date from any officer it will be presumed that he/she intends to remain in Central Health Service. Doctors with the Central Health Service are liable to be posted anywhere in India. We want details about how this latest move will affect our career growth that is not clear," said Delhi Administration Doctors' Welfare Association chairman Dr. Chander Kant.

Association convener Dr. Vijay Rai said: "We are not opposing the model. However, it should be fair to all doctors belonging to all component sub-cadres of the service. It should allow reasonable growth, career progression and horizontal movement within the cadre depending on skills, experiences and qualification