The state government has terminated the services of 16 doctors of provincial medical services posted in Mirzapur. They were conducting private practice while being absent from duties for a long period.

The decision was taken at a meeting in Lucknow on September 7.

“All 16 doctors were served termination notices on Saturday and Monday as per the direction of the Principal Secretary, Health, Pradeep Shukla,” said RKS Chauhan, the additional director Health, Mirzapur. Legal action will also be initiated against them.

“These doctors had been absent from their duties for months, a few of them for over years,” Chauhan said.

Five were absent from duty for almost three years and some were absent for over six months without any notice. Six of them were caught conducting private practice, he said.

A few months ago, on the direction of the state government, Chauhan had sent a report with names of 20 such doctors. Principal Secretary Shukla issued showcause notices to them and asked them to report for duty by July 25.

But 16 of them did not turn up, nor did they send any explanation, said Chauhan. On September 7, Shukla ordered action against the doctors.

The doctors whose services were terminated includes SK Singh, AK Kaushik, AK Maurya, SK Singh, Ram Kumar — all from Mirzapur district. Mahendra Kumar and Amitabh Chandra from Bhadohi, Ramjeet Maurya, Puspesh Gupta, RK Gupta, AK Singh, Saroj Kumar, Pramod Kumar, Mohd Altaf, Vineet Rai and Anoop Kumar from Sonbhadra district.

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