Haryana raises retirement age of practising docs to 65
Govt decision comes after Haryana Civil Medical Services Association members had threatened to go on mass casual leave on October 26
CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Wednesday decided to raise the retirement age of practising doctors from 58 to 65 years. The retirement age of doctors working on administrative posts would remain 58 years.
Health minister Anil Vij, while talking to newspersons after a meeting on the issue chaired by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said the retirement age of doctors working on administrative posts would be increased to 65 years only if they would take up any posting of patient care or practice in a faculty in any of the health institution of their choice.
“However, their service would be in continuation with all the benefits till the age of 65 years,” he said while adding that the step would check the shortage of doctors in the state.
There are less than 2,000 doctors against over 3,000 sanctioned posts in the state.
On the question of doctors who had already retired, he said it was also decided in the meeting to invite applications from all of them. “They would be given re-employment,” he said.
The state government had announced to raise the retirement age to 65 years on May 31 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a similar announced at Saharanpur (UP).
However, as the state government failed to implement the announcement, the doctors threatened to resort to strike but withdrew their proposed stir on September 16 after Vij assured them time-bound acceptance of their demands.
Since raising the retirement age was one of the doctors’ main demands, they again threatened to go on mass casual leave on October 26. It was in this backdrop that the government held a meeting with them on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) president Dr Jasbir Panwar and general secretary Dr Rajesh Sheokand said they had not got the details of the decision taken on Wednesday and would comment only after examining the same in a day or two.
In the state health institutions, the decision would impact 312 doctors, including 57 medical officers, 160 senior medical officers, four principal medical officers, 78 civil surgeons and deputy civil surgeons, 13 deputy directors and directors, and one director general health services.
HCMSA PRESIDENT JASBIR PANWAR SAY WILL COMMENT ONLY AFTER EXAMINING THE DETAILS OF THE GOVT DECISION IN A DAY OR TWO