Medical Teachers in Assam to now retire at 70 years

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet has decided to raise the retirement age of faculty members of government medical colleges in the state from 65 to 70 years. The decision to increase the retirement age was taken during a meeting where other important decisions regarding the Power, Tourism, Revenue and Transport departments were also taken. 

The move is aimed at augmenting availability of experienced doctors for educational and medical services, government spokesperson and Minister for Water Resources Pijush Hazarika told reporters. According to Hazarika, around 1100 pass out from the medical colleges of the state every year which does not meet the increased demand, reports the Sentinel Assam.

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Hazarika said, "We have decided to raise the retirement age of faculty members of government medical colleges by five years to augment the availability of experienced doctors for educational and medical service." Stating that the number of experienced doctors to number of medical colleges is not enough, he added, "The retirement age of the doctors has thus been raised to make up for the shortage."

The cabinet also decided to sanction Rs 136.8 crore for implementation of the Free Drugs and Consumables scheme for 2022-23, which will ensure uninterrupted availability of free essential drugs, surgicals, disinfectants, chemicals and consumables in government health facilities, he said. 

It also approved the decision to re-engage 66 former employees of Hindustan Paper Corporation Ltd (HPCL) in vacant grade-III and -IV posts through a special recruitment drive with relaxation of the upper age limit, Hazarika said. An official statement, according to a media report in the Hindu said, "It will ensure uninterrupted availability of free essential drugs, surgical equipment, sutures, disinfectants, chemicals and consumables in government health facilities."

Speaking about this, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on Twitter, "In the #AssamCabinet, we took several key decisions regarding the retirement of medical college faculty members, re-engagement of ex-HPC workers, medicines for Govt hospitals, service rules of Land Records staff, automated vehicle testing stations, solar power plant, etc." Sarma further wrote, "We also decided to revise pension guidelines to benefit the family members of Govt employees who die in harness."