State
Govt mulls rise in doctors' retirement age
6/22/2017
Nitesh
Sangral
Early
Times Report
JAMMU,
June 22: While the State Government is considering to raise the retirement age
of doctors to 65 years to address the shortage of medicos in the Jammu and
Kashmir, a new research suggested that patients looked after by an older doctor
were more likely to die.
Senior
doctors themselves have been disappointed with the move of the state government
and opine that it is neither beneficial to health sector nor would it address
shortage of doctors in rural areas. The decision would also hit the career of
the young and upcoming doctors in J&K.
A
new research of Harvard University published in the British Medical Journal
states that those treated in a hospital by a doctor over the age of 60 had a
higher chance of dying within a month than those who saw a doctor under 40.
As
per officials figures in the State, there were about 3800 posts of doctors
under J&K Health Services and only 55 posts were vacant for which JKPSC has
already started the process of recruitment. Out of these 3800 doctors, 2550
posts are of Medical officer and Assistant surgeons, 500 posts of Consultants,
250 of Health Administrators, Directors, Deputy Director, Assistant Directors,
CMOs, Superintendents and 500 posts of dentists.
"If
we increase the retirement age, who is going to be benefitted? Obviously the
Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, CMOs, Medical Superintendents
and other senior most health officials who are on the verge of
retirement," a senior doctor stated.
The
doctor contested that those who had served a lifetime would not serve in rural
areas. "The question is, would these senior health officials serve in
peripheral, rural areas and mitigate the miseries of rural population?" he
asked, adding that there were already more than 3000 trained unemployed MBBS
doctors in J&K.
"If
the retirement age is raised, for the next five years no posts will be vacant
and it will seriously harm the career of the upcoming doctors who are
well-suited and in need of a job," another senior medico said. Government
Medical Colleges of J&K produce 400 MBBS doctors every year and in addition
about 250 to 300 students of J&K pass MBBS from other states, and from
foreign countries. So every year at least 700 MBBS doctors are added to the
existing pool of unemployed MBBS doctors.
"If
the retirement age of government doctors is increased to 65 years, then for
next five years there will be no retirement, leading a moratorium on new
recruitment for five years and it will more than double the number of
unemployed doctors from 3000 to 7500, as the new 3500 MBBS pass out doctors in
next five years will also add to the pool of unemployed doctors," he said.
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