Stung by acute shortage of specialists at government hospitals, the State
Government has decided to recruit specialists through direct recruitment. It has been planned to fill at least 500 of the existing 799 vacancies through direct appointments.
The Cadre and Recruitment Rules didn’t allow direct recruitment of specialists. According to Rules direct recruitment can be taken up to fill vacancies up to ‘A’ group officers (assistant commissioner). Specialist doctors come under still more superior grade – of the special deputy commissioner – and hence their direct recruitment was not possible till now.
Sources at the Health Department said that the C&R Rules have been amended to provide for direct recruitment of specialist doctors.
Paucity
In view of severe shortage of specialists at government hospitals, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms has given its consent to the proposal, treating it as a special case.
The salary of specialists has been fixed at above Rs 50,000 per month. Their cadre was elevated with the intention of increasing the salary, sources said. In the absence of a provision for direct recruitment, in-service doctors were being sent for post graduation hitherto. First 100 rank holders in the PG entrance test will be selected for admission.
Compulsory service
The in-service doctors had to compulsorily serve at least for five years after their post graduation. In case of breach, they had to pay a penalty of Rs five lakh. Now, the penalty has been increased to Rs 15 lakh. Doctors will be relived from government service only after they pay the penalty. Though the number of doctors quitting service after PG is miniscule, 100 candidates selected for the PG course no way meet the demand, according to Health Minister B Sriramulu.
Of the 832 candidates selected in 2009 only 636 reported for duty. And out of the 562 shortlisted in 2010 only 336 joined the service. Obviously, the government-run hospitals face shortage of doctors.
The department hopes to fill at least 50 per cent of the specialists’ vacancies through direct recruitment.
