Medical fraternity unenthused by govt move
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to strengthen the medical speciality services, the government is for bringing all medical officers in administrative service, who did their PG under the service quota, back to the speciality cadre. Though the order was issued for getting more specialists in public sector hospitals, it could only lead to chaos in the administrative wing with junior officers at the helm of affairs and several senior doctors, including some of the Additional Director of Health Services(ADHS), losing their seniority.
If all the medical officers take the option, which is said to be unlikely, there will not be enough posts to accommodate them. This will also make it difficult for the government to implement such an order.
The DHS in a circular dated January 9 directed the medical officers, who did PG under the service quota and availed themselves of deputation benefits, to opt for speciality cadre in their area of specialisation. It said they should do so within a month.
Hailing the decision, Kerala Government Specialist Doctors’ Association (KGSDA) president Sunjith Ravi said, “Though we welcome it, the government should also create more specialists’ posts.”
Nonetheless, he said implementing the order will be easier said than done.
“If implemented, many senior officers in the administrative wing, including the DHS and several ADHS, will lose their seniority,” he said. Another major issue is with regard to those who have taken Non-Clinical PGs.
“There is no post for these people in the Health Services. They have only openings in the Medical Colleges. So the question of accommodating them also is a herculean task,” Ravi said.
‘Order has led to confusion’
The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association(KGMOA) said the order has led to a lot of confusion. KGMOA state president V Madhu and general secretary A K Raoof said the order did not specify the date of implementation.
Neither did the order reveal whether it has retrospective effect, according to Madhu.
“The government will be in a fix if it tries to implement the order. We have asked the DHS to issue a clarification regarding the date.”
Demanding a temporary freeze on the circular, Raoof said, “There are a lot of anomalies in the administrative as well as the speciality cadre. The association is urging the government to rectify all the anomalies and not go in for setting right just one of the issues involved,” he said.
According to him, the circular will create chaos in the administrative service and there is also the possibility of junior doctors climbing up the seniority ladder with senior doctors losing their seniority in the speciality cadre. “For instance, if a DHS, who did PG under the service quota, opts for the speciality cadre now, he she will become the junior most,” he said.