The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to hire retired doctors who have worked in medical colleges for three years. This development comes due to a shortage of doctors amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The plan is approved by BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and is drawn up by Suresh Kakani, Additional Municipal Commissioner.

Chahal said that they don’t want to waste talent and have seen private hospital doctors work till 70 years of age and are quite fit. Therefore, BMC doctors can work after their retirement. These doctors who will be appointed after retirement will not have administrative rights but won’t be deprived of promotion.

Kakani also stated that a committee is set up under Deputy Commissioner (Public Health) Devidas Kshirsagar along with the deans of all medical colleges as its members. They will select retired professors or deans to work under a dean after their appointment.

Presently, doctors and professors in government medical colleges are working till age 64 years and in BMC-run colleges, doctors work till age 62 years. According to the new plan, doctors working in BMC-run medical colleges before their retirement will be reappointed till they the age of 65 years. They will have a three-year contract and would get a salary but won’t receive pension benefits.

Last year, the head of cardiology, Dr. Prafulla Kerkar got retired and then was given a year’s extension.

Source: The India Express