5-year bond policy for doctors taking 36-month study leave: Govt explains rules, incentives

The ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) has detailed the rules implemented by the government to retain bonded specialist doctors and the policies in place to fill vacancies. Doctors availing study leave are required to serve the government for the specified period, the MoS for health and family welfare, Anupriya Patel, briefed.

Member of Lok Sabha Dharamvira Gandhi asked whether the government has implemented any retention policy after resignation by bonded specialist doctors across the country.

Responding to the question, the ministry said that state and Union Territory governments have their own policies for recruitment and resignation of healthcare professionals, mostly aligned with the needs of the state.

However, specialist doctors in the Central Health Service are appointed based on their performance in the interview conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

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Under the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, doctors availing 36-months of study leave are required to mandatorily serve the government for five years after the expiry of leave.

Under CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972, the doctors availing thirty-six months of Study Leave, have to execute a bond undertaking to serve the Government for a period of five years after the expiry of leave.

5-year service bond, incentives

The ministry said that the bond policy helps in retaining specialist doctors during the bond period. Additionally, the government also has several incentives in place to retain doctors in government health service such as relaxation in rules to avail study leaves for three years instead of two, it said.

Doctors are also provided extraordinary leave (EOL) for higher studies immediately after joining, the dynamic assured career progression scheme, non-practicing allowance, annual allowance, and more.

Although the government stated that the bond policy is for ensuring retention of bonded specialist doctors, the bond service has received severe criticism and opposition from medical professionals across the country.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has recently ruled that doctors cannot be compelled to complete their service if they are willing to pay the bond penalty.