Chandigarh doctors unmoved for 15 to 30 years, health secretary orders transfers

CHANDIGARH: The transfer policy of the UT health department is now expected after the UT health secretary made surprise visits to the health and wellness centres (HWCs) and found those posted there for more than 15 years to be complacent.
Consequently, UT health secretary Yashpal Garg on Sunday issued orders for transferring the senior medical officer of the Sector-33 HWC to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16.He had caught the SMO chatting with the pharmacist, while a peon dispensed medicine before their eyes. The SMO is deployed in that dispensary for the last 22 years even after promotion.
The last inspection as well had caught most of the senior medical officers and medical officers napping. These doctors and members of the paramedical staff work in the same health facilities for 12 to 20 years. Sources said their transfers now will be based on performance rather than recommendation. Last year, an RTI (Right To Information) investigation had brought out how the health department had more than 420 employees on one post in one centre for more than five years, and how some of those were at the same place since 1989. Some have spent their entire service period on one post. The RTI application was filed by local activist R K Garg.
The investigation brought out how the oldest employees in Chandigarh since 1991 were 49 members of the nursing staff, while the city had seven medical officers since 2004. The highest number working since 1984 was of the Class-IV employees. Their strength was 106, while 31 medical officers from Punjab were deputed to the city since 2003.
These revelations forced the UT health department to investigate the matter. UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said: “The excuse that Punjab and Haryana have not sent the panels cannot be accepted, as we have also not relieved the doctors on the completion of their tenure. Some doctors were deputed to the city for 25 to 30 years and relieved on the day of retirement. We need to break the nexus and start relieving them on the completion of deputation.”