Patna, June 15: Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) has called an emergency meeting on June 17 to oppose the state health department’s new appointment policy for doctors.

On Tuesday, the state health department had laid down a new criterion for the appointment of civil surgeons, deputy civil surgeons, superintendents and deputy superintendents in medical colleges and hospitals. According to the new rule, doctors who have at least two years of service left can now hold these posts.

According to senior officials, a list of 98 doctors has been prepared on the basis of seniority after a screening committee, comprising health department principal secretary and other doctors, recommended these names.

BHSA, meanwhile, has criticised the health department officials for imposing an “arbitrary and discriminatory rule”.

“Over 350 doctors are senior to those who have been listed for promotion. This is condemnable. We oppose this rule which violates all existing norms,” said BHSA general secretary Ajay Kumar.

Kumar said it was not justified that only few doctors will be considered for promotions while many others with similar qualifications would be overlooked only because they are close to retirement. “On what basis was it decided that doctors who had more than two years of service left are more efficient? Besides, as the roster is prepared now, those who are just a few days over two years to retire will get closer to the retirement age by the time they are appointed on any of these posts. Hence, there is no point in making such an illogical rule,” Kumar added.

Doctors are already agitated with poor service conditions and have given a deadline to the state health department to improve these by August 5, failing which they have vowed to take mass voluntary retirement.

The doctors’ demands include implementation of the Andhra Pradesh-model of Medical Professional Protection Act (MPPA), same salary structure as that of the central government doctors, ban on private practice for government doctors with non-practice allowance, constitution of special security force for doctors at work, more powers for health directorate, a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the family of Dr Budhdeo Singh, who was beaten to death by a group of inmates at Gopalganj jail on May 30, regularisation of doctors working on contract and retirement age of doctors be extended from 62 to 65.

Dr Kumar Arun, secretary, BHSA, said the government was adopting a divide-and-rule policy. “This move is exploitative and humiliating for hundreds of senior doctors who will work as medical officers under their juniors,” said Arun.

He added that 10 years ago, the state government had brought a similar policy by which only those doctors who had more than six months left in government service could avail these promotions. However, the order was challenged in the high court and was subsequently quashed.