SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 10: Doctors of the health department and medical colleges of the state would have to face a Medical Board before going on sick leave.
Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of health Arun Kumar Singh has set up a three-member Medical Board in all 24 districts to examine the health of doctors/medical officers who will apply for sick leave. A civil surgeon (CS), an Additional Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) and one expert doctor nominated by the civil surgeon would be the members of a District Medical Board.
The notification issued by the ACS also said that if any doctor/medical officer has already been on sick leave, he/she would have to appear before the board within a week of notification for extending the leave which would be sanctioned only based on the Medical Board report.
The notification has been issued to all five medical colleges and civil surgeons (CS) of all 24 districts. The ACS has also directed to ensure that no member of the teaching cadre and medical officer of the health department would go on leave without getting prior approval from their competent authority.
“It has been noticed during the review of applications that doctors/medical officers deployed at hospitals/health centres go on leave without taking formal approval of their competent authority. This act of medical officers of teaching and non-teaching cadres is a violation of Section 152 of the Jharkhand Health Service Regulations. Such irresponsible conduct is not expected. So, the Personnel Administration department has resolved to take action against such officials,” said Arun Kumar Singh in his notification.
The ACS further said that a notification was already issued in May 2022 directing that doctors/medical officers would proceed on leave only after getting approval from their competent authority. He said disciplinary action would be initiated against the doctor if he/she ignores the directive of the department.
Notification triggers protest from medical officers
However, the notification has triggered sharp resentment from the government doctors across the state and they have requested Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA) and Indian Medical Association (IMA) to take up the issue with the health minister and chief minister.
The medical officers said that the notice is nothing but a way to mentally disturb the government doctors. “When medical officers have been following all directives of the health department service regulation, what was the need for such decree,” said a doctor.
The doctors also expressed resentment against Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA) office-bearers for not protesting the decree even after 48 hours of the notification. They alleged that the newly-elected JHSA office-bearers and the state IMA are engaged in entertaining the health minister rather than solving the problem of the doctors.
