AP to benefit if its doctors retire at 65 years

VIJAYAWADA: With nearly 150 government doctors scheduled to retire by end of 2021, certain senior medical professionals have suggested to Andhra Pradesh government that it enhance their retirement age to 65 years, so that delivery of health services is not adversely affected, especially if the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic strikes.

AP health department, with over 7,000 doctors, comprises three wings – Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Directorate of Health, and Andhra Pradesh Vaidya Vidhana Parishad. The state government had already revised retirement age of doctors having post-graduation degrees/diplomas to 63 years in May, 2017; while undergraduates retire at 60 years. From DME alone, nearly 65 professors out of 150 are retiring through the current year.

Doctors maintain that as the state government is getting ready to face the third wave of Coronavirus pandemic, services of these experienced doctors will come in handy in case the situation deteriorates.

They further support their point referring to state government embarking on its ambitious programme of putting in operation 16 medical colleges with attached hospitals right from academic year 2021–22. This means faculty members will be required to teach and train medical students at under, post graduate and super speciality levels. As these 16 colleges have an intake of nearly 2,000 students, lack of adequate number of faculty members, as per National Medical Commission norms, may affect the number of students who can be enrolled in these colleges.

Doctors refer to centre enhancing the age of retirement of its doctors to 65 years in 2017. It had then advised states also to do the same for providing better healthcare. Some states like Telangana, West Bengal and others enhanced retirement age of only teaching doctors to 63 from 60 years. AP too followed suit.

The Supreme Court, however, in its recent order, said all doctors, including those working in AYUSH department, should retire at 65 years with no discrimination; because all doctors provide healthcare to patients in their respective modes of treatment.

The professor of a government medical college said, “As AP is setting up 16 new medical colleges, it is better to give opportunity to our own doctors having a lot of experience and expertise by enhancing the age of retirement to 65. Otherwise, these people may retire at 63 years, draw pension, and also work in private medical colleges up to 70 years while getting handsome pay,” he remarked.

A senior doctor maintained that the government must revise retirement age by fixing time-bound promotions for avoiding any injustice to juniors.