The Association of Reemployed Government Doctors (ARGD) is advocating for a significant policy change. They're urging the state government to increase the maximum age for reemploying retired doctors from 65 to 70 years. This move, they argue, would help alleviate the ongoing shortage of medical professionals in government services.

The state government introduced the reemployment of retired doctors to address the severe shortage of medical staff. The numbers are alarming - with 19,000 sanctioned posts, only 12,000 are currently filled, leaving a staggering gap of 7,000 doctors. To bridge this gap, 1,000 additional positions were created specifically for retired doctors. Although this initiative has shown some promise, its impact has been limited so far.

The retirement age for doctors is currently set at 62, but there's a catch for those in administrative posts. Doctors serving up to level IV can extend their service until 65, as long as they leave their administrative roles. However, there's a problem - doctors in levels IV and above aren't rejoining the workforce in large numbers, which is limiting the effectiveness of the reemployment initiative.

This concern was raised by the Association of Reemployed Government Doctors (ARGD) in a letter to the president of the provincial medical services association, which represents government doctors in the state. The letter is now under review by the health directorate.

Uttar Pradesh has launched a reemployment initiative for doctors, providing 500 positions for both specialist and MBBS doctors. This initiative allows retired doctors to continue serving the state's healthcare system. Moreover, the National Health Mission (NHM) extends contracts to doctors, permitting them to continue their medical practice until the age of 70.

Currently, over 300 reemployed doctors are working in various district hospitals across Uttar Pradesh, helping to address the state's shortage of healthcare professionals.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)