Thaindian News

Ranchi, June 1 (IANS) Jharkhand will take stern action against its 279 government doctors who have been absenting themselves from work for many months, said an official Wednesday.

The Jharkhand health department had sought a report from all its 24 districts about the doctors posted in government hospitals, sources said. The report submitted last month has revealed surprising details.

According to the report, 2,100 regular doctors are posted in different government hospitals in the state. Of them, 279 were found missing. Some doctors have not attended their hospitals since the last three to four years and some of them have remained absent for more than one year.

To improve the medical facilities of the state, Jharkhand had appointed 970 doctors in 2009. Of these, 150 have been found missing from duty since their joining though they have been drawing their salaries.

The health department has taken the issue seriously and it will soon seek an explanation from the absenting doctors.

“We will soon come out with a public notice about the absenting doctors. Stern actions will be taken against the absenting doctors,” said A.K. Sarkar, Jharkhand health secretary. to IANS.

Jharkhand needs more than 6,000 doctors in the state and at present there are only around 2,500 doctors, including 400 contract doctors and 279 absenting doctors.