A special committee formed by the state health secretary in March has come up with a set of draft guidelines for transfers and postings of doctors.
The former AAP government?s decision to give marching orders to 23 senior doctors, including 14 medical superintendents, had sparked a furore, with many condemning such ?arbitrary transfers?.
The draft guidelines outline norms for postings to senior posts such as medical superintendents and safeguard against ?extraneous influence?. It identifies conditions and length of postings in peripheral, secondary and tertiary hospitals.
Hospitals with up to 200 beds, located in the outskirts, have been identified as ?peripheral hospitals? and the guidelines stipulate that postings here for both non-teaching specialists and medical officers ?should not be more than three years at a stretch?.
The guidelines, the first of their kind for Delhi Health Services (DHS), were circulated to medical superintendents of all hospitals on Tuesday by Health Secretary SCL Das. Suggestions have been invited until May 31 before the final guidelines are drawn up.
While highlighting that ?transfer to a particular location cannot be claimed as a matter of right?, the draft guidelines state that ?a doctor in the last year of service would not normally be transferred from where he/she is posted except on his/her request? unless ?exigencies of service require such a transfer?.
Doctors will be ?suitably rotated? between ?clinical and administrative departments to ensure manpower development and equip them to handle senior assignments?, the guidelines state.
One section notes ?safeguards against extraneous influence?, noting that if ?outside influence from whichever source espousing the case of a doctor is received, it shall be presumed that the same has been brought in by the doctor? and ?action will be taken under relevant service rules?.
Transfers have been divided into two categories ? routine ?administrative? transfers by the Health department and ?request? transfers based on requests by doctors.
The guidelines recommend the constitution of a ?screening committee? for transfers to senior positions, including director and medical superintendents.
With complaints by several doctors of transfers superceding seniority lists, among the criteria identified for such transfers, seniority of a doctor has been enlisted as the top concern followed by ?integrity, professional standing, managerial experience, leadership quality, status regarding vigilance clearance, etc?.
The guidelines recommend a human resources grievance redressal committee under a special secretary or principal secretary with senior doctors as members to examine complaints over transfers. The guidelines also state that all file notings related to transfers will be accessible under the RTI Act.