Government doctors in UP to retire at 62

LUCKNOW: Facing shortage of government doctors, leaving many community health and primary health centres without doctors, the Yogi government on Tuesday approved increasing the superannuation age for the provincial medical services (PMS) doctors from earlier 60 to 62. UP Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal, UP government spokesman and health minister Siddharth Nath Singh said.

Of 18,382 posts of doctors, 7,327 are still vacant. It is for this reason that the government has decided to increase the retirement age of doctors from 60 to 62, Singh said. The decision will reduce the shortage of doctors by nearly 1,000.

Around 250 doctors on an average retire every year. Since 2014, the gap of shortage of doctors has increased by 1,000, Singh said and added with this decision that gap would come down by the same number.

He said, however, the contract system for those opting to continue after retirement until the age of 65 would continue.