No shortage of docs in Uttarakhand: State govt tells HC on demand for extending contractual service

Nainital (U'khand), Sept 1 (PTI) Uttarakhand no longer faces a shortage of doctors as the process of regular appointments has begun and most of the vacant posts have already been filled, the state government on Monday informed the Uttarakhand High Court.

In such a situation, there is no justification for extending the contractual service of doctors, the state government told the court.

The statement was made by the state government during the hearing of a petition related to the extension of service contracts of MBBS doctors.

The petitioning doctors stated that they had completed their MBBS education at government medical colleges in Uttarakhand on subsidised fees, in exchange for which they had signed a bond to serve the state government for three years.

They argued that they had fulfilled the bond period but were willing to continue serving in the state and sought an extension of the bond period on that ground.

The high court, after both sides, directed the government not to extend the contracts of doctors who have already completed three years of service.

However, it allowed the petitioners to submit representations before the Director General of Health Services if they wished to continue on a contract basis, and directed that such representations be decided in accordance with law within three months.

The matter was heard before the single bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari.

On behalf of the state government, standing counsel Chandrashekhar Rawat informed the court that at the time when the bonds were introduced, there was an acute shortage of doctors in the State.

Therefore, students pursuing MBBS on subsidised fees were required to sign a compulsory service bond. But now, as the process of regular appointments has commenced and most posts are occupied, there is no longer any justification for extending contractual appointments.

Accepting the state government’s argument, the high court observed that the bond system had been created only to ensure the availability of doctors in an emergency situation. Since a sufficient number of regular doctors are now available, the government cannot be compelled to extend the contracts.PTI Cor ALM RT RT