Health services: ‘Doctors see rural area jobs as insult’

LHC observes that millions of rupees were spent on doctors and yet they considered working in rural areas an insult.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court observed on Wednesday that millions of rupees was being spent on doctors and yet they considered working in rural areas an insult. Justice Khalid Mehmood Khan was hearing a petition challenging the government’s decision to obtain a compulsory service affidavit from new entrants. The petitioners pleaded that the Health Department required an affidavit of compulsory service from doctors in violation of the law. They said under the Constitution, no one could be forced or restricted to do a job for a particular period, in a particular area. A law officer told the court that the recruitments were made through the PPSC and the applicants were told that they would not be allowed to refuse to work in rural areas. The court remarked that at least Rs4 million was spent on training each doctor, but they did not like working in rural areas. The court adjourned the hearing till December 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2013.