Over 700 government doctors 'missing' in UP, set to be sacked

AGRA: An estimated 742 doctors posted in different districts of UP have been found missing from duty for extended periods, with some not reporting for work for over five years.
The directorate of medical and health services has submitted a list of these doctors, appointed between 2010 and 2022, to the state government and action may soon be initiated to terminate their services.It is alleged that some of these doctors, in connivance with health department officials, were also drawing regular salaries without working.
Speaking about the issue, medical and health services director (administration) Dr Rajaganapathy R, said, "Three successive notices have been sent to the missing doctors seeking clarification, but none of them responded. The process of recovery of salaries from them has been initiated. Action will also be taken against health department officials who did not stop their salaries."
The matter of the missing doctors had come to light when deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, found some doctors missing from duty during an inspection sometime back. On questioning, he was told that the doctors were on leave. Pathak ordered an investigation and also directed the directorate of medical and health services to compile a state-wide list of all the doctors missing for a long time, after which the details came tumbling out. In the last four months, the minister is said to have terminated services of at least 29 doctors who had not reported for work for a long time.
A senior government doctor in Agra said, "There is no government hospital in UP where the required number of doctors and paramedical staff are on duty. The situation is worse at the district hospitals and health centres in rural areas. Some doctors remain missing despite officially being on duty. Such a situation creates more work pressure on working doctors who are anyway getting much less salaries compared to the private sector." The problem of absenteeism comes even as the health department in UP is reeling under a shortage of doctors. As per sources, 8700 posts remain vacant.