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A big issue related to health services and doctors’ welfare is very hot these days in the political and administrative corridors of Jharkhand. Doctors serving in government hospitals of the state have once again taken a tough stand against Hemant Sarkar and warned of immediate implementation of the DACP (Dynamic Assured Career Progression – DACP) scheme. Doctors clearly say that if the government does not fulfill this much-awaited demand as soon as possible, then they will be forced to take the drastic step of mass agitation and halting health services. After this ultimatum, there has been a stir at the health department and government level, because doctors going on strike in any state can directly cost the lives of the general public and patients. Let us understand this entire controversy in detail and know what DACP is and why the doctors of Jharkhand are demanding so loudly for its implementation.
In a developing state like Jharkhand, where health services in rural and remote areas are already facing many challenges, this type of standoff between doctors and the government has become a matter of concern for the general public. Government medical officers of the state have been complaining for a long time that the attitude of the government and the department has been indifferent towards their promotion and career progress, due to which there is a lot of disappointment among the doctors. This system has already been adopted by the Central Government and many other states, but in Jharkhand, due to it not being fully implemented yet, there is a lot of anger among the doctors. Let us know how deep an impact this entire system has on the career of doctors and their functioning.
DACP i.e. Dynamic Assured Career Progression is a special service condition and promotion policy designed mainly for doctors working in Central Government hospitals and many other states of the country. The main objective of this policy is to ensure that any medical officer or doctor, on completion of a certain period of his efficiency and service years, automatically gets the benefit of the next promotion and pay scale without any administrative delay. In general government jobs, it is mandatory to have vacant posts for promotion, which means that if the higher post is not vacant then the doctors are forced to work at the same grade for years.
Under the DACP system, such administrative hurdles are removed and after a certain interval (e.g. 4, 9 and 13 years of service) doctors automatically get a higher pay scale and next post. Government doctors of Jharkhand argue that they serve patients day and night, risking their lives and in difficult conditions, but their morale goes down due to remaining in the same post for a long time. Since the benefits and promotion opportunities available to doctors in Jharkhand are less compared to other states of the country, they are continuously demanding that the Hemant government should implement the DACP scheme in the state with immediate effect without any further delay.
This warning given by the doctors of Jharkhand has drawn lines of worry on the forehead of Hemant Soren government and health department officials of the state. There is already a huge shortage of doctors and specialists in the government hospitals of the state, due to which patients from Sadar Hospitals to Community Health Centers have to struggle a lot to get better treatment. In such a situation, if the government doctors adopt the path of indefinite strike or work boycott regarding their demands, then the entire health system of the state may collapse and the treatment of the common poor will be dependent on God. For the government, this situation is like walking on the edge of a sword from both sides, because on one hand it has to handle financial and administrative matters and on the other hand it has to handle this huge pressure of doctors.
Representatives of the doctors’ associations say that they have placed these demands several times before the higher officials of the government and administration, and every time they have received only empty assurances, but no concrete action has been taken on the ground. Doctors also say that unless the government sets a fixed deadline for implementing DACP in writing, their struggle will intensify. Health department officials are continuously brainstorming on this whole matter so that some kind of middle path can be found and this crisis can be avoided by keeping the doctors at work.
In many big and progressive states of the country, DACP or other advanced career progression policies like it have been implemented long ago for doctors, due to which a positive work culture is seen among the doctors there. On the contrary, in a state like Jharkhand, doctors have been struggling for their rights for years due to administrative red tape and policy delays. Young and experienced doctors of Jharkhand are also attracted by the better salary structure and promotion opportunities available in neighboring states, and if their demands are not met, it is feared that they may leave the state jobs and migrate or move to the private medical sector.
The intellectuals and health experts of the state also believe that if the government has to improve the condition of its government hospitals and retain good and skilled doctors there, then their service conditions will have to be made attractive. The efficiency of doctors can come out to its full potential only when they feel completely secure and satisfied about their livelihood and future promotion. This is why this demand of DACP is not just an issue of personal benefits of the doctors, but it has ultimately become a very important issue related to strengthening the backbone of the entire health system of the state.
As time is passing, the tension between the government doctors of Jharkhand and the government is increasing. It has been made clear by the doctors’ union that if the government does not take any positive steps in this direction soon, then they are fully prepared to start the next phase of the statewide agitation. To deal with this possible crisis, rhetoric has also started among the political parties, while the opposition is cornering the government for the poor health services, while the ruling party is claiming that they will very soon find a peaceful and equitable solution to this problem through talks.
The eyes of the general public are now fixed on what historic decision the Hemant government takes on this sensitive issue. Whether the government will accept this old and legitimate demand of the doctors and restore peace in the health department or whether the state will have to face another big health movement, it will be completely clear in the coming few days. At present, the doctors’ warning has created a stir in the administrative corridors and everyone is hoping that a concrete solution to this problem should be found on the negotiation table itself so that the patients do not have to face any kind of problem.