Medical officers allowed to choose location in new transfer process; 70% vacant posts filled as against the usual 10%
Mumbai : In a one-of-its-kind process, the state government has recruited 1,800 medical officers from across Maharashtra to eight different cities in a year (since July 2014 till date).
After receiving the government order, they will be appointed to their respective hospitals by October 15. Those doctors who hold a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree are being recruited for primary health care and those with specialization are recruited for specialized health departments depending on their qualification and calibre.
The highlight of the transfer process is that these medical officers were given a say in choosing the hospital with which they want to work and were also allowed to choose their preferred city. The final round of recruitment process was held in Mumbai at the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) on Wednesday wherein the doctors were counselled by the DHS and Mantralaya representatives.
Dr Satish Pawar, director of DHS, said: “Previously, the government used to give out forms and the doctors were recruited depending on the availability of vacancies and their merit, with no say in location. Owing to this process, only a few doctors used to come ahead and apply and we used to witness only 10% recruitment. However, with the new transfer process, we have witnessed 70% recruitment. Nearly 1,800 doctors have been recruited in a year which is happening for the very first time. It’s a win-win situation.”
The salary structure for the doctors ranges between Rs 15,600 and R 39,100 and they have been recruited to eight different cities of the state including Thane, Pune, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Latur, Nashik, Akola and Nagpur. The recruitment report revealed that the vacant posts in Nagpur, Latur and Aurangabad have been entirely filled whereas other cities have not seen such a good response.
Manasi Tahalani
