Release order lands 27 doctors in quandary
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 12 2013:
Altogether 27 doctors of Manipur Health Services currently posted in JNIMS have been caught in a tricky situation after release orders were issued for their return to the Health Directorate.
The 27 doctors were working in erstwhile JN Hospital before it was upgraded and renamed as JNIMS Hospital and under an agreement with JNIMS authority, the doctors have been working at JNIMS for the last three years.
As they have been working at JNIMS for more than three years, JNIMS authority issued release orders for the 27 doctors.
According to an official source, an emergency meeting of the governing council of JNIMS society was held on July 2 this year.
It was the 17th meeting of the society.
As decided at the meeting, JNIMS authority issued an order on October 24 last directing the 27 doctors to report to the Health Directorate.
The 27 doctors include one dental surgeon, one physician, seven senior medical officers, one senior gynaecologist, 12 medical officers and one opthalmic surgeon.
The order issued on October 24 did not mention any reason why the 27 doctors who reportedly took significant roles in successful establishment of JNIMS were released from their duty at JNIMS Hospital.
Nonetheless, the official source maintained that the release orders were issued for there would be myriad problems in future and affect their service career if the 27 doctors continue to work in JNIMS for a longer period.
As their days in JNIMS can be treated as deputation period, the 27 doctors can demand deputation allowance.
Although the 27 doctors have been sent back to the Health Directorate, JNIMS is not facing any shortage of medical staff, said one official of JNIMS Hospital.
Meanwhile, information received from the Health Directorate said that due arrangements would be made so that the different posts held by the 27 doctors are preserved.
As a rule, Secretariat, Health Department should issue an order before JNIMS authority issued their order of October 24, the source informed and added that the 27 doctors would be re-posted at district hospitals and community health centres against the posts they held earlier.