Panel looks into raising docs’ retirement age

The Telangana government is setting up a committee to look into raising the retirement age of doctors from 58 to 65 years so that the new medical colleges would have experienced professors.

But this would have to be without opposition from junior and middlelevel doctors who claim that their chances would be ruined. A committee would be set up to evaluate the need for increasing the retirement age and how it would benefit the healthcare system.

According to sources, the new medical colleges in Adilabad, Mahabubnagar, Siddipet and Suryapet would have semi-atuonomous status and there was the need for senior professors in these colleges and teaching hospitals. The guidelines of Medical Council of India clearly said the faculty of doctors had to be on regular rolls, adequately qualified and experienced for super specialty seats. This made it important for the colleges to ensure that their experienced professors were given extension rather than be taken away by private colleges.

A senior government doctor explained, “Retiring doctors from the government sector have offers from private colleges. The reason is their vast experience which is an asset. The government is losing out. With new colleges coming up, they want to utilise their expertise.”

But junior and middle level doctors were against this.