Govt serves ultimatum to doctors, asks to rejoin duty before June 6 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The health department is taking strict measures like terminating employees including doctors on illegal leave, from service. The government issued an ultimatum to the employees illegally absent from service to rejoin duty before 5 pm on June 6.

The order of R Subhash, health department additional secretary, said people expressing their willingness should be appointed in their respective departments subject to conditions including bond and settlement of disciplinary proceedings. The others will be considered as not interested in continuing in service. The health department has informed that disciplinary action and removal from service will be taken against them.

The director of health and the director of medical education have been asked to provide the figures of those on illegal leave within five days. While the health department is taking emergency measures for the prevention and treatment of increasing epidemics in the state, the employees including doctors are illegally absent from service. Minister Veena George had the other day directed that those interested in resuming service should appear within a week.

When the activities were planned as part of epidemic prevention, it was learned that there were no doctors and staff in many places. The tasks are fulfilled by giving them extra charges. People on leave are not returning to work despite warnings that the situation could worsen during the rainy season. The practice of loss of pay leave to doctors was discontinued years ago. All employees, including nursing and para-medical, have a maximum of five years of unpaid leave. Many have taken leave and have not returned to service.

Doctors take leave in the name of other reasons. Apart from those gone abroad, there are also those who work in private hospitals in their native places. Health department officials said their attitude is that if action is taken, they can go out or come back whenever they feel like it.