THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government has decided to sack 430 doctors for unauthorised absence from service. The doctors include 43, who had completed probation and 377 who are currently on probation.

Despite opportunity given by the authorities twice in the past, the doctors facing action did not respond, forcing the government to initiate steps to terminate their services.

Health minister K.K. Shailaja tweeted, “The government has decided to terminate the services of 480 staff including 430 doctors working in the state health department.”

The health department had no other option but to crack the whip. The officials said the possibility of these doctors returning to government services are remote, since most of them may have already taken up assignments in the private sector or may have gone abroad in search of greener pastures.

According to an earlier statistics given out by the government, as many as 384 doctors had gone on unauthorised leave since 1993 and majority of them were from Idukki, Palakkad Wayanad, Kasargod and Kannur. The department has been slapping show cause notices on these doctors, and in most cases the reply given by them are found to be unsatisfactory.

Office bearers of Kerala Government Medical Officers Association said not many doctors were willing to join the Government health services or continue in it, because of the unattractive pay scales.

Of the sanctioned strength of 4,000 doctors in government health department, nearly 1,000 posts are still lying vacant.