The city might soon face dearth of senior doctors.
The Central Health Services (CHS) has issued a notice to Delhi Health Services (DHS), asking the latter to send back its doctors.
Hospitals and dispensaries in the Capital were manned by doctors from the CHS.
These doctors were enrolled on contract basis 1998 onwards.
When the Delhi cadre of doctors was being formed, doctors working under it were asked if they want to remain with CHS or join DHS.
Some doctors answered. Many did not respond and hence were considered to go with the mother cadre.
After this decadrement of general duty medical officers and non-teaching specialists doctors, an approval was granted for the constitution of DHS and the same was notified in 2009.
In 2012, this is the third notice being from the Central Health Ministry to DHS. Considering the situation, the Central Health Scheme issued notice to the Delhi government seeking the doctors back.
Over a thousand doctors working with the city hospitals will have to leave.
“If the doctors are shifted then the DHS wouldn’t have enough experienced doctors to fill the vacancies,” a source said.
Delhi recently notified the appointment of 318 general duty medical officers and 204 non-teaching specialist doctors in the DHS cadre.
“A list of non teaching specialists who are presently working under the GNCT of Delhi and have not opted for DHS...if you could relieve these officers immediately with a direction to report to the ministry for further posting,” the notice said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Administration Doctors Welfare Association's Vijay Rai feels the problem has come up due to the glitches in the Cadre policy of Health Department.
He says, “The DHS has to shift the doctors and this will affect the health services in the city. Currently, the Delhi Government has no eligible doctors to fill the posts of Medical Superintendent.”
Delhi has 32 government hospitals and 250 dispensaries, which were being manned by the CHS.