Editor,
The healthcare system of Arunachal Pradesh is on the brink of collapse, and the government’s inaction is to blame. The Arunachal Pradesh Doctors Association (APDA) has raised critical demands that have been ignored for years, despite their direct impact on public health. Doctors, the backbone of our healthcare system, are being pushed to the edge, and are forced to beg for their rightful promotions, pay scales, and basic working conditions. This blatant disregard is not just negligence – it is a betrayal.
The APDA has been demanding the implementation of the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) Level 14, a system already adopted by over 20 states in India. Even the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department in Arunachal implemented it in 2023. Yet, when it comes to doctors – the people who risk their lives daily to save others – the government suddenly becomes deaf. The excuse of financial implications is laughable when the scheme has already been budgeted and approved by the Empowered Committee. Is this a deliberate attempt to demoralise our healthcare workers?
For 25 years, the Arunachal Pradesh Health Services Recruitment Rules (APHS RR) have remained unchanged. Doctors have been patient, working through a broken system, hoping for reforms. But patience is wearing thin. The government committee reviewing these rules has already submitted its recommendations, yet the file has been pushed back and forth between departments like an unwanted burden. This delay is not just bureaucratic inefficiency; it is an insult to the entire medical community.
Doctors in Arunachal have been working without timely promotions, and when promotions are finally granted, they come without arrears. More than 250 doctors are waiting for promotion orders despite the Departmental Promotion Committee clearing their cases in November 2024. What kind of administration allows such injustice? These doctors have dedicated their lives to serving the public, only to be rewarded with delays, denials, and humiliation.
The government has allowed crucial healthcare leadership positions to remain vacant for over seven months. District medical officers (DMO), deputy directors of health services (DDHS), and joint directors of health services (Jt DHS) positions remain unfilled, depriving the system of experienced leadership. Senior doctors, who have worked for decades, are being denied the positions they deserve, and forced to retire without the promotions they earned. This is not just mismanagement – it is deliberate sabotage.
The APDA has tried all possible channels – meetings, official requests, and diplomatic dialogue – but the government refuses to act. Now, the doctors are left with no choice but to take to the streets in protest. If the state government does not wake up and address these long-pending demands, they will face a crisis far worse than they can imagine. An overworked, underpaid, and demoralised healthcare workforce is a ticking time bomb.
The people of Arunachal Pradesh must stand with their doctors. When doctors are mistreated, it is not just their battle – it is the fight for every citizen who relies on them for healthcare. If the government refuses to respect and support those who save lives, why should the people trust them with theirs?
A deprived doctor Arunachal