The Karnataka government has charge sheeted and issued a final notification of dismissal to 414 medical professionals for failing to discharge duties for several years and violating the CCA rules.

In mid-October, a total number of 1142 doctors and 1342 assistant nurses and midwives list of names were released to be axed, but the State government selected 414 names on the basis of their conduct and performance.

The state government has now decided on 281 permanent and 133 contract medical professionals, including doctors and paramedical employees to be dismissed from service immediately and a final notice has been served to them. The doctors and paramedics are from the primary health centres, government dispensaries and government hospitals in the districts.

These 2484 professionals appointed to serve rural areas, were neither reporting to duty nor staying at the residential quarters allotted to them for the last several years. The reasons for absenteeism is that they were running their own clinics and were busy in private practice.

There will be no further inquiry on the issue and their services will be terminated immediately, Karnataka health minister Kagodu Thimmappa, told pharmabiz.com

On the issue of filling up vacancies, the health minister said that there were sufficient number of doctors and paramedical staff available now that the State government had framed special rules to absorb employees who were dismissed following the Supreme Court order on staff appointed under the rural weightage quota. These professionals will replace the ones, who have been dismissed he said.

He also said that the posts of 5,966 in the health department, selections have been made for posts 4671 posts, the health minister and the provisional list of selected candidates would be issued this month. The balance posts would be filled up before the year-end.

The health department had also decided to abolish nearly 3,000 posts, which had become defunct following computerization in various districts. This would save more than Rs. 30 crore for the State government, said the health minister.

The health minister who also heads the Backlog Clearance Committee said that of the 17,000 vacancies, steps have been taken to fill-up 12,000 posts with the balance 5,000 posts expected to be filled up soon.

About 2,500 additional posts would remain unfilled as part of the contingency measure, he informed.