Bhubaneswar, Nov. 13: The state government today dismissed 408 doctors for remaining unauthorisedly absent for long periods at their workplaces.

The Odisha Public Service Commission, which had recruited these doctors, gave its concurrence to the government decision.

According to a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office, the state health department had initiated disciplinary proceedings against 412 doctors, who had been absent from their duty without permission for a long period and remaining incommunicado. Show cause notices were issued through newspapers on why disciplinary action would not be taken against the absentee doctors under Rule 15 of the Odisha Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules.

However, four doctors had submitted representations citing reasons for their absence and requesting the government not to take disciplinary action against them. Later, the government took their representations into consideration and exonerated them from charges.

The state government today dismissed the remaining 408 delinquent doctors for violation of the Odisha Civil Services Rules.

"Common men were facing difficulty due to the unauthorised absence of these doctors at their work places for long period," said the official release.

On June 2, the government had published a public notice against 613 in-service doctors accused of leaving their place of duty in an unauthorised way for a long period.

These doctors had remained incommunicado as their whereabouts could not be known to the government. Hence the health department had published a newspaper advertisement asking these medicos to personally appear within 10 days to receive the draft charges from the department and submit their reply.

"Attempts have been made to ascertain their addresses to communicate to them, but their whereabouts could not be known as they have not intimated their addresses either to their immediate authorities or to the state director of health services or the director of medical education and training," the notice had said.

Allegations of doctors remaining absent from the place of duty and indulging in private practice are made regularly. This issue is raised in every Assembly session with legislators from all political parties alleging that the doctors posted in the peripheral health centres, especially in the remote tribal areas, remain absent and fresh appointees do not join their workplace.

In February, the state government had dismissed 52 doctors for prolonged absence from duty.