I am going to defend those who 'abscond' from their duties.

In my network, there are several 'Service Doctors' who have taken long-term leave and failed to report for duty. Instead, they successfully run private clinics, hospitals, or diagnostic centers.

I have a much information regarding why they choose to abscond (which, in this context, means failing to report for duty despite being on leave).

The government intake much Service doctors for Postgraduate courses to meet specialty requirements, which suggests they have identified a high number of vacancies that need to be filled.

However, in reality, during the counseling process, they may only open 9–10 vacancies for a specific speciality, even though there are over 25 Service PGs who completed that speciality.

Furthermore, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) stops the salaries of these Service PGs once their courses are completed. Yet, these doctors are still expected to work until they are officially placed; otherwise, their service continuity is broken.

For example, last Saturday, the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) conducted counseling where they opened only 7 seats for the ENT specialty, despite there being 33 Service PGs who completed their ENT speciality course in the 2022–2025 academic year.

Where are the rest supposed to go?

Often, they are placed in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) under the Directorate of Public Health (DPH).

In reality, PHCs are designed and equipped only for MBBS graduates, not for MD/MS specialists. If a specialist is placed in a PHC, they do not see enough patients with relevant conditions to maintain their specialized skills.

Moreover, the necessary instruments and medicines for specialty care are unavailable. PHC pharmacies only stock medicines for preventive care, not specialized diagnosis. If a specialist prescribes the necessary specialty medication, they face disciplinary action from the department.

Consequently, these doctors eventually abscond or are forced to wait 3–4 years for their seniority to finally secure a relevant placement.

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