112 Doctors to repatriate for overstaying even after deputation : Chandigarh Govt

The UT Administration has decided to invite applications to fill the vacancy after the deputation from Punjab and Haryana. The Directorate of Health Services has submitted a proposal to the UT Health Secretary and appealed for an extension of the deputation period of 112 doctors for another year from March 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. However, after investigating the matter, it came to light that many of the doctors have extended their deputation period for more than 20 years.

Usually, the deputation period for a doctor is from three years to five years and in cases of extreme emergencies, it can be extended up to 7 years. As per a recent media report by The Tribune, 72 doctors have been continuing on deputation for more than seven years and four of them for more than 20 years. "If we go strictly as per the rules, 72 doctors should be repatriated to their parent cadre immediately," stated Yashpal Garg, UT Health Secretary.

In order to ensure there is no scarcity of workforce, the Health Department had considered granting extension in the period of deputation and the repatriation process of 112 doctors will be conducted in a phase manner. As per the order issued by the Health Secretary, the process to repatriate all four doctors who have completed more than 20 years will commence from March 1, 2022, as per reports.

As far as those 38 doctors who have completed more than 10 to 20 years of continuous deputation are concerned, they will be allowed to extend their stay up to September 30, 2022, and they are to be repatriated from October 1, 2022. Similarly, 30 other doctors, with more than seven years to 10 years of continuous deputation experience will be allowed to stay up to December 31, 2022, and they will be repatriated from January 1, 2023. As for the remaining 40 doctors are concerned, those have completed less than seven years of continuous deputation should be allowed extension up to February 28, 2023.

Yashpal Garg, UT Health Secretary told The Tribune, "There are many instances where doctors have continued on deputation for 25 years to 30 years and were relieved on the day of their retirement on superannuation". "We need to break this cycle/nexus and should start relieving doctors on completion of deputation tenure and properly pursue for the panels from Punjab and Haryana. If the two states are not sending panels, then we should take eligible doctors on deputation from Himachal Pradesh and other UTs instead of extending the deputation period in gross violation of instructions," added Garg.