Karnataka Government Doctors Warn of Protest if Administrative and Recruitment Demands Ignored
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) has issued a strong appeal to the Health and Family Welfare Department, demanding fair implementation of guidelines in administrative postings, promotions, and direct recruitment of doctors. The association has cautioned that if their concerns are ignored, they may be forced to take the path of protest.
Key Demands on Administrative Appointments
- Postgraduate bond period should be counted prospectively for future promotions.
- Doctors with 10 years of service after completing post-graduation should be considered for senior posts like District Surgeons and Medical Superintendents.
- Administrative postings must follow fixed tenures of 3–4 years, without arbitrary transfers.
- Programme officers (RCHO, DLO, FWO, DTO, DSO) who have not completed three years should continue in their present postings.
- Contractual doctors’ service periods should also be considered for administrative posts.
- Doctors transferred through the 2025–26 counselling process must be considered for administrative posts based on seniority.
The association has accused the government of taking unilateral decisions by considering only seniority while ignoring these parameters, calling it unfair and demoralizing for government doctors.
Recognition of Direct Recruitment but Demand for Fair Weightage
KGMOA welcomed the government’s move to start direct recruitment of doctors to address staff shortages. However, the association stressed that contract doctors, who have already served for years, must be given service weightage marks.
They recalled that in the 2020 recruitment (SRC/68/2019-20), contract doctors were awarded 2.5 marks for every six months of service. The association has urged the government to extend the same rule to the ongoing recruitment process and also consider backlog vacancies.
Call for Structural Reforms and Promotions
The association also demanded:
- Finalization of the seniority list strictly based on service records.
- Issuance of revised Cadre and Recruitment (C&R) Rules.
- Early promotions for Joint Directors and Additional Directors.
KGMOA warned that ignoring these long-pending demands would further lower the morale of doctors, directly impacting public healthcare delivery in Karnataka.
Association’s Stand
“Every government doctor’s welfare is essential for improving public health. Decisions must protect doctors’ interests, not undermine them. If our just demands are not met, we will be compelled to adopt protest measures in the larger interest of public health and the department,” the association stated in its letter.
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