Over 400 doctors go on mass leave

Mumbai: Over 400 doctors working at 14 state-run medical colleges and institutions across the state went on a two-day mass casual leave on Monday. Protesting abolition of their post as administrative doctors and for transferring them to rural areas, the doctors said the decision of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) was “arbit and ill thought”.

The DHS proposes to abolish 400 posts, including that of the medical superintendent, casualty medical officer (CMO), resident medical officer (RMO) and blood transfusion officer (BTO), currently serving in medical and allied hospitals. They want to send these doctors to fill up vacancies in district and rural hospitals.

This move, the protesting doctors from the Maharashtra Association of Gazetted Medical Officers (MAGMO) — 90% of whom have already served in rural areas— said, will not serve any purpose. “The move is akin to emptying a pond to fill up an ocean,” said Dr Ashok Kamble, president, federation of health officers.