Doctors appeal CM Jagan for transfers in Health department

With the Andhra Pradesh government relaxing the ban on transfers of employees from May 22 to May 31, government doctors have appealed to Chief Minister Y.S.

Jagan Mohan Reddy to allow their transfers based on vacancy and mutual interest.They maintain that this will help improve their performance.

Government doctors want the state government to issue guidelines on mutual and vacancy-based transfers in all health wings, including Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Directorate of Health and Andhra Pradesh Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (APVVP).With regard to doctors working in teaching hospitals falling under DME, government doctors say that during the recent transfers, nearly 70–80 per cent of doctors got shifted to far off places, thereby affecting healthcare and teaching at government medical colleges and hospitals attached to them.

They say allowing mutual and vacancy-based transfers as well as transfers on request basis with no mandatory transfers will help doctors transferred to far off places get back to their earlier places of work.This will help the government provide healthcare to patients in a more efficient manner.

As far as those working under APVVP are concerned, government doctors want the state government to allow mutual and vacancy-based transfers with 20 per cent cap imposed on general transfers.In case of doctors working under Directorate of Health, doctors point out that the state government has been recruiting a large number of new doctors during last two years, while several senior doctors are working at distant places.

They appealed to state government to consider transfer of such senior doctors.Doctors say they are committed to implement all health reforms being initiated by the state government from time to time, improve treatment of patients from primary health care centres to teaching hospitals, and teach medical students.

They requested the state government to issue fresh guidelines with zero station seniority as a one-time measure to affect mutual and vacancy-based transfers in the state.AP Government Doctors’ Association state convener Dr.D.Jayadheer said, "We are appealing to the Chief Minister to consider our request for mutual and vacancy-based transfers.He said senior doctors, after serving for long, want to go back to their native places and stay with their families.

He pointed out that some of the doctors are nearing retirement and are facing multiple health complications."Such doctors can take care of themselves and also provide better healthcare to patients," Dr.Jayadheer pointed out.