783 doctors served notice for not serving in Uttarakhand

NAINITAL: The Uttarakhand government has issued notices to 783 doctors who graduated from Haldwani and Srinagar government medical colleges in the state but violated their bond by not serving in the health department. Notices have been sent to those who have passed out of the institutions since 2003.

The notice said that if the doctors fail to comply with the conditions stated in their bond by December 31, action will be initiated against them.

Ashutosh Sayana, director of medical education, Uttarakhand, told TOI, “After we served notices, many students have called us. We will take legal action against those who fail to report to us. We will also serve them recovery notices.”

Of those served notices, 558 had passed out from Veer Chandra Garhwali Government Medical College and Hospital, Srinagar, and 225 were from Dr Susheela Tiwari Government Medical College and Hospital, Haldwani.

“The former students had also been served notices by the principals of their respective colleges and chief medical officers of the districts where they were supposed to join,” Sayana said.

Most of the doctors ignored the notices, some resumed their duties and a handful approached the court seeking a stay on the proceedings initiated by the state government against them.

Students in government medical colleges are provided subsidized education but made to sign a bond that they would practice in the state for a specific number of years. The penalty fee for not serving in the state has been kept at Rs 30 lakh for postgraduate students and Rs 15 lakh for MBBS students.