ITANAGAR, Jun 1: The Junior Doctors’ Association of Arunachal (JDAA) has written to the chief minister, seeking his intervention in three issues raised by the association.
The junior doctors have opposed the enhancement of the superannuation age of government doctors from 62 to 65 years; sought retirement of administrative doctors (non-clinicians) working under the state health service at the age of 60 years, and has demanded fresh recruitment of medical officers and junior specialists against the existing vacancies and the retiring doctors.
The JDAA said increasing the superannuation age would lead to stagnation of jobs in the department, thereby denying opportunities for the junior and young doctors.
“There are many MBBS and postgraduate doctors from Arunachal who are more than willing to join the health service, but for long there have been no recruitments for medical officer and junior specialist. This decision to increase the retirement age will definitely delay the recruitment process, which will create a backlog for creation of new posts,” the association stated.
It also said that doctors who are on the verge of retirement cannot be posted for Covid-19 duties as per guidelines, “and therefore there is no justification for increasing the retirement age.”
The association further said that the doctors who are in administrative jobs and are not involved in patient care at hospitals should be retired at the age of 60 years, just like any other government employee.
The JDAA appealed to the state government to “rethink and carry out the fresh recruitments for the greater interest of the society and the state.”
