Hyderabad: Deputed doctors dilemma!

Hyderabad: Deputation of government doctors, and medical staff has turned into a headache for employees and health officials as well. The State Health Department has recently directed government doctors working at Public Health Centres (PHC) move to the places they have been posted.

Doctors are not ready to move places and want to continue their deputation. Nearly 1,000 government doctors and other medical staff working on deputation at various PHCs across the State are worried and queued up at the Director of Public Health office requesting for cancellation of the orders.

The orders issued by the department are worrying doctors as only doctors working under DPH have been deputed while the medical staff working under the Vaidya Vidhana Parishad and Director of Medical Education were not disturbed.

The doctors who are affected by the orders are blaming that many government doctors including DMHOs and programme officers are working on deputation for years due to a long gap in departmental transfers. They urged the department to treat all the employees fairly.

Deputation is the process in which the staff of the government sectors can avail the facility to change the workplace from where the employee posted on various grounds. Concerned departments will allow employees to work on deputation wherever they want to move. Many avail this facility.

Speaking to The Hans India Dr Humayun working as a PHC doctor in Karimnagar said, "I was posted at Peddapalli district and served there for two years. Due to health issues I have applied for deputation and was permitted to move to Karimnagar seven months ago.

I have settled here with family, but the recent order impacted my deputation as my health would not allow me to stay far from my family and I need a caretaker. That is the reason I am requesting the director to cancel my deputation."

According to Dr Humayun, his lower body is semi paralysed, and he can't stay alone without any help. His parents are also unable to move to other places at this age.

However, Department of Health is not in a mood to take the orders back and directed employees to reach their appointed place. Health Director Dr G Srinivasa Rao said that the orders are from the Chief Secretary and ''we have to follow the orders''.