Centre Plans to Re-Employ Doctors on Contract Basis After Retirement

Chandigarh: The Centre is mulling to re-employ doctors in central hospitals on a contract basis who would wish to offer their services after retirement, Health Minister JP Nadda today said.

"After their retirement, if they want to come, we are planning to bring them for service on contract basis in central hospitals, including AIIMS," Mr Nadda said while speaking here as chief guest at the 15th annual celebration of Himachal Maha Sabha, a body of people from Himachal Pradesh living in Chandigarh.

Mr Nadda was referring to a number of top doctors who originally hail from the state but were employed with or retired from top hospitals in Chandigarh region and elsewhere.

Pointing to former PGIMER director S K Sharma, leading cardiologist and Executive Director of Fortis hospital, Mohali, Dr TS Mahant, orthopaedician Dr Ramesh Sen, opthalmologist Dr Jagat Ram and others who were present in the gathering here, Mr Nadda said these doctors from the state had made every Himachali proud.

"If I get the opportunity in future, I want to take full benefit of their expertise in Himachal Pradesh," he told the gathering.

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He also said the new AIIMS which are being set up at different places across the country, sarais (resting places) will be set up in PPP mode for the benefit of attendants of patients who find difficulty in searching for accommodation.

Earlier in his speech, Mr Nadda talked how Himachal Pradesh was blessed with clean and pollution-free environment and also recalled having raised the issue with Planning Commission earlier about how the state was acting as "lungs" for entire north India in providing clean and green environment.

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"I had earlier raised the issue that we protect environment...we should be compensated. You will be happy to know that today it is being discussed that Himachal, Uttarakhand, how these states can be compensated by Government Of India, from environmental point of view and how these states will benefit," he said.

Mr Nadda also recalled how once former Himachal Pradesh Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri, who was not native of the state, was amazed to see clear blue sky in the state when he arrived there.

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"He had then said that first time in his life he had seen such clear blue sky... environmentally, we are blessed, what we have got, not everyone is so lucky to have this. 'Dev Bhoomi' (land of Gods) we are referred to because there is something in its land and environment, which makes it distinct".

"Yesterday, I was in a programme with (former cricketer) Bishan Singh Bedi and he said that Himachalis are down to earth, very gentle, these were his remarks," Mr Nadda further said.

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Appealing to the youth to preserve the rich culture and tradition of the state, he said our ancestors had put in hard work to imbibe good values among the future generation and now it was our duty to walk on the path shown by them.

He also said it was a matter of great pride that the state was ahead in several parameters, including education and health, despite its far-flung areas like Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur, which make it a challenge to offer health and education in those areas.

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"In many parameters, Himachal Pradesh is above national average, but it is also true that the state needs further development. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who gave AIIMS to the state. I am thankful to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for giving top priority to the state," he said.

The Minister also told the gathering that at one time, people used to leave the state for greener pastures, but today it is becoming a hub of education and added that "it can become a health hub, IT, agro based industry and tourism hub".

On tourism potential of the state, he said, "I have been to Switzerland, people talk so much about that country. I say that in Mandi and Shimla, every mountain you will see better than Switzerland. But the way the Swiss have put their tourism industry on global map, that needs to be appreciated and we need to learn from them".

"There is no doubt that 20 per cent of India's tourists visit Himachal, but we need to take more steps to give the sector a further boost," he said.

"We need to think out of the league and not tread the beaten path and explore opportunities," he said.

However, Mr Nadda said despite being ahead on many fronts, skewed sex ratio was a matter of concern for the state. "When we see imbalance in gender ratio, it makes one sit back and think how this can be in a state like Himachal, which we call as Dev Bhoomi," he asked.