Rajasthan: The Rajasthan government has ordered 678 absentee government doctors to report back to their postings by May 5 or face dismissal from service, in a statewide disciplinary action aimed at improving staffing levels and strengthening public healthcare delivery. The directive, issued by the state health department, targets doctors who have been absent without authorization and warns of strict action, including termination and recovery proceedings, if they fail to comply.
Officials said the action is intended to address persistent manpower gaps in government hospitals and health centres across Rajasthan, where absenteeism and unfilled posts have affected service delivery. The government has instructed all identified doctors to resume duty at their respective postings or report to designated authorities by the deadline of May 5. They have also been asked to submit explanations for their absence, though officials indicated that prolonged or unexplained absence would not be accepted under service rules.
According to the health department, the 678 doctors have been marked absent after internal reviews and verification exercises conducted across multiple districts. The cases involve medical officers posted in various government institutions who have not reported to duty for extended periods without formal approval. The department has not released individual names but confirmed that the action covers doctors deployed across both rural and urban health facilities.
The government’s order states that failure to comply will lead to termination of service and initiation of disciplinary proceedings, along with recovery of financial penalties where applicable under service bond agreements. Officials added that the decision is part of efforts to enforce accountability within the public health system and ensure that sanctioned posts are actively functional.
A senior health department official said the issue of absenteeism has been affecting healthcare delivery in several districts, particularly in rural and semi-urban regions. Hospitals in these areas often operate with limited staff, leading to increased workload on available doctors and delays in patient care. The official said the current action is aimed at ensuring that “all sanctioned posts are effectively utilized for public service delivery.”
Rajasthan’s government health system has long faced challenges related to staff shortages, uneven distribution of medical personnel, and absenteeism in critical departments. These include specialties such as general medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and emergency care. Officials said that absenteeism in these categories directly impacts essential healthcare services, particularly maternal and child health and emergency response.
The directive is part of a broader administrative effort to clean up staffing records and improve accountability in the state health department. In recent years, the government has conducted multiple verification drives to identify discrepancies between sanctioned posts and actual workforce deployment. These exercises have revealed instances where doctors remained on payroll despite being absent for long durations.
Officials said the latest order is more stringent compared to previous notices because it sets a clear deadline of May 5 and explicitly warns of dismissal for non-compliance. The move reflects a shift toward stricter enforcement of service rules within the department.
Once the deadline expires, the health department is expected to carry out compliance checks and initiate disciplinary action against those who fail to report back. Officials said the process will also involve updating service records and reviewing staffing positions across districts to ensure better deployment of medical personnel.
The government has stated that the objective of the action is to improve efficiency, accountability, and availability of medical services in government healthcare institutions. Authorities expect that the directive will either bring absentee doctors back to duty or lead to formal termination proceedings, thereby allowing for potential reallocation of posts to active medical staff.
