Context:

• Rajasthan government is trying to leave no stone unturned to improve its good governance credentials.
• In one such move, Rajasthan health minister has told the state assembly that doctors in the state will have to work at places where they are posted.
• The health minister gave the information to the House while also cautioning doctors that if they do not join the duty at their places of posting, their salaries may be withheld or they may even lose their jobs.
• The health minister made the remarks during the Question Hour while replying to various MLAs' queries on the issue of some hospitals having more doctors than its sanctioned strength and others struggling to have the requisite number of doctors to man them.
• To ensure that the doctors join their duty at the places of their posting, the minister told the house that the government has abolished the “system of deputation” for doctors in the state.
• The system of deputation here refers to temporary transfers of employees to places other than their original postings.
• Admitting the lacunae of the posting policy of doctors, the minister said that the department has abolished the work arrangement or deputation after joining. There are some obstacles in this, and the department will remove them too.
• It must be noted here that the government has admitted the imbalance in the sanctioned strength and the number of doctors working in various hospitals. In many hospitals in Rajasthan 70 doctors are working instead of 40 and in some places, 40 doctors are working instead of 20.
• With government’s strict instructions that the doctors will have to work where they get posted, situation is supposed to improve in the coming days.

By: A D Singh