In a major disciplinary move, the Uttarakhand government has decided to terminate 234 bonded doctors who have remained absent from duty for a long time without official permission. These doctors, who completed their MBBS education at subsidized fees in government medical colleges, had signed bonds committing to serve in hilly districts for at least five years.
Health and Medical Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat has ordered their dismissal and instructed the concerned departments to recover the bond amount as per contractual terms. The absent doctors include 56 from Doon Medical College, 95 from Haldwani, and 83 from Srinagar Medical College.
According to officials, these doctors violated the bond agreement by abandoning their posts without depositing the required penalty or seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Their absence not only breaches contractual obligations but also amounts to serious indiscipline.
The colleges still hold the doctors’ original documents and medical certificates, which were submitted during admission. The Director General of Health has been tasked with initiating dismissals, while the Director of Medical Education will proceed with the financial recovery.
Additionally, the Health Secretary has been directed to seek explanations from Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and hospital in-charges of the districts where these doctors were posted, questioning why no action was taken earlier despite their prolonged absence.
