Thirty-nine doctors from the state’s various medical colleges have voluntarily retired. All 39 doctors were relieved once the State Health Department accepted their resignation letters.
Seven doctors worked at the GMCH, 11 from AMCH, ten at the JMCH, four at Barpeta Medical College, six at Tezpur Medical College, and one at Lakhimpur Medical College.
Many of these doctors had applied for voluntary retirement, and they were not attending their duty for a long time. When asked if the senior doctors taking voluntary retirement at a time when Covid-19 is yet to relent in the state, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said, “It’s a routine affair. Some doctors take voluntary retirement. It will not affect the state health sector since we are appointing new doctors and promoting some.”
Sources said that some of the doctors who took voluntary retirement were not satisfied with the functioning of the medical colleges. While some were keen on private practice, some others took retirement on health grounds. Sources, however, said that this does not augur well for the state health sector.