Docs ask govt to rectify disparity in promotion

From http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Docs-ask-govt-to-rectify-disparity-in-promotion/277406/

Express news service : Posted online: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at 11:04:11

Varanasi, February 26 Doctors belonging to the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Medical and Health Services (UPPMHS) on Tuesday demanded the state do away with the alleged disparity among general and specialist doctors when it comes to being promoted to the level of joint director. It has given the state government a month’s time to do the needful.

On February 11, the state had ordered the promotion of doctors to the joint director level. But during implementation of the order, general doctors benefited the most, said Dr A K Singh, vice-president of Provincial Medical Services Association in Varanasi.

“During the course of promotion to the joint director level, while general doctors were promoted till serial number 9,066, specialist doctors were promoted only to serial number 4,946 of the list,” he added. “Such a disparity meant general doctors, who joined services in 1993, have been promoted to joint director level. But specialised doctors, who joined services way back in 1981, did not benefit from the process.”

Varanasi branch Secretary Arvind Singh said, “While the doctors of state health services were divided into general and specialised cadres in 2004, their promotion to the joint director level has been done according to the old list, where there was only one group of doctors.”

He added, “We demand the state government promote the specialised doctors who have not been included in the process. All such specialised doctors are writing to Chief Minister Mayawati, principal secretary (medical and health) and director (health).”

A meeting of the executive body of the State Association has been called in Lucknow on March 16, where our future course of action will be decided if the government does not accept our demand. We are even mulling to move court,” he said.

Singh also underscored the need for filling over 4,000 vacancies for doctors in state health services. “No recruitment has been made through State Public Service Commission despite the Allahabad High Court directing the government twice in the past. The government, instead, has appointed 2,000 doctors on contractual basis who draw Rs 18,000 monthly, but work only six hours a day,” he said.

He also drew the state’s attention towards the paucity of medicines in state government hospitals. “WHO has drawn a list of 186 medicines, including 40 life saving drugs, which should be available in hospitals. But hospitals and health centres in the state do not even have half of these medicines.”