Transfer Policy for Medical Officers

Government of West Bengal
Health & Family Welfare Department
Swasthya Bhawan, GN-29, Sector – V,
Bidhannagar, Kolkata – 700091
Medical Administrative Branch

No. HF/O/MA/3431/1M-01/11 dated 09.11.2011

MEMORANDUM

The Governor of West Bengal is committed to the provision of adequate, easy accessible, patient friendly and prompt health care throughout the state. A well-considered and well-structured human resources (HR) policy is a critical and basic ingredient in the efforts to achieve this objective. In turn, a rational transfer policy for Medical Officers is a key determinant of any HR policy.

2. The existing Transfer Policy has been in vogue since 2001. Serious concerns about the efficacy. Utility and fairness of the policy have been voiced from time to time.

3. The Government is of the opinion that the existing Transfer Policy should be recast as set out in the paragraphs 4 to 7 below.

4. Transfers of Medical Officers will be broadly governed by the following considerations in order of priority

i) need to provide assured, quality health services throughout the state,
ii) particular emphasis to the fullest possible manning is undeserved (difficult) areas and with a paucity of alternate health service providers,
iii) preference to local Medical Officers,
iv) pressing individual considerations, i.e., co-location of spouse, obligations arising out of imminent retirement, etc.

5. Accordingly, I am directed by the order of the Governor to say that the Governor is pleased to set out a new Transfer Policy as follows:

A. New Categorization of areas

Category A: All the six districts of North Bengal, Purulia, all PHCs within the district of Murshidabad, all BPHCs/ RHs within Jangipur Sub-division of Murshidabad, Blocks within Jhargram Sub-division of Paschim Medinipur, Blocks within Khatra Sub-division of Bankura district, Gosaba, Basanti, Sagar & Patharpratima Blocks of South 24 Parganas, Sandeshkhali Block of North 24 Parganas and Sandelerbill BPHC, Jogeshanj & Sahebkhali PHCs under Hingalgunj Block of North 24 Parganas. Areas covered under this category shall be treated as “difficult” for Medical Officers hailing from areas belonging to other two categories.
Category B: All other health institutions outside the KMDA areas.
Category C: Health institutions within KMDA areas.

B. For Medical Officers on General Duty (GDMO)

Subject to the conditions in the paragraph 4 above,

i) Medical Officers on appointment shall be posted, so far as practicable, in the RH/ BPHC/ PHC in their local areas subject to the requirements of para (iii), vacancy position and their relative position in the category wise merit list.

ii) Any Medical Officer on appointment shall be posted in places where vacancies are available, if he/ she cannot be accommodated in his/ her local place.

iii) Any Medical Officer who has been appointed in his local block/ district, no matter which category it belongs, shall have to move out immediately after three (3) years to such area of another category with the exception as is mentioned in the para (iv)(b). Such selection of category shall be like this – A to C, C to A, B to A. However, a Medical Officer may go from A to B on his/ her request.

iv) (a) All Medical Officers shall be liable for transfer from Category C to Category A after a period of three (3) years.
(b) Medical Officers working in Category A areas may continue to serve the same area for another period of three (3) years if they so desire and apply accordingly so as to reach MA Branch of this Department and the DHS immediately after completion of two years of service at the existing place. However, Medical Officer opting to remain in Category A areas may be allowed to work in Category A area beyond six years subject to the condition that posting shall be made in some other place in the same zone as may be convenient to him/ her provided he/ she submits such option in writing within completion of five years.

v) Medical Officers who have put in at least six (6) years of service shall be posted in upper tier hospitals, viz., State General Hospitals and Sub-divisional Hospitals. However, on introduction of this new policy there shall be Medical Officers at present who did not work in satisfaction of the policy as laid down in (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above. It shall be mandatory for them to serve in second tier hospitals within the above categorized areas. However, since we have de-categorized some areas from A to B in respect of Murshidabad district, such Officers who worked previously in those areas now de-categorized shall be considered to have served in category A area for the period they actually worked. Posting in such places for all the Medical Officers shall be for five (5) years and not more in any category depending on the category of previous posting. Such Medical Officers shall be transferred again to another upper tier hospital after five (5) years in another category area in the same way as in (B) (iii), i.e. A to C, C to A, B to A.

Clarification: All PHCs, BPHCs and Rural Hospitals belong to first tier hospitals. All State General Hospitals and Sub-divisional Hospitals belong to second tier hospitals. All district Hospitals, Medical College-Hospitals and other Super Speciality Hospitals belong to third tier hospitals.

vi) After sixteen (16) years of service all Medical Officers shall be considered for posting in District Hospitals, Medical College-Hospitals and other De-centralized Super Speciality Hospital. Their posting in such hospitals shall be for a period of five (5) years at any place of posting. Here also conditions for transfer from one category to another, i.e., A to C, C to A, B to A shall apply.

vii) Any Medical Officer who has less than three (3) years of service left may have the option of working in any place of his/ her choice subject to availability of vacancy.

viii) Any Medial Officer who had been absent from his/ her place of duty for a long time and is allowed to resume his/ her duties after such a long gap shall be treated as a fresh recruit and shall have to start again in Category A area irrespective of his/ her local area.

C. For Specialist Medical Officers

i) Medical Officers appointed under this category shall be posted generally in upper tier hospitals except in Medical College-Hospitals in terms of the categories as defined above and in the same process except that their posting period for each area shall be for five (5) years. However, given the rising demand for Gynaecologists, Pediatricians and Anesthesiologists at RH/ BPHC levels, Specialists with such Post-Graduate Degree/ Diploma shall be posted in RH/ BPHC wherever such Specialist posts exist.

ii) In case of those Specialists who are appointed in some RH/ BPHCs in the interest of the Hospital Management, their posting for that RH/ BPHC shall be limited to three (3) years only.

D. For GDMOs who become Specialists after joining

If any Medial Officer who has been appointed as GDMO and later declared as Specialist by the Department on the basis of Post-Graduate Degree/ Diploma, he/ she shall be posted Specialist Medical Officer in the same manner as noted at C above. However, his previous assignments as Medical Officer in places of different categories shall be taken into account at the time of posting.

E. Restriction of posting in Medical-College Hospitals

Medical Officers (Specialists) will not be posted in Medical College-Hospitals.

F. If any Medical Officer is allowed to resume his/ her duties for more than three (3) months without prior sanction of any leave or any authorization, the guiding principle shall be as follows.

i) For Specialist Medical Officers resuming duties

Medical Officers who had been appointed as Specialists and had been absent from duties from the place of posting for more than three (3) months and are subsequently allowed to resume their duties, shall be posted in the upper tier hospitals of Category A areas only.

ii) For General Duty Medical Officers resuming duties

GDMOs who had been absenting from duties from the place of posting for more than three (3) months and are allowed to resume their duties, shall generally be posted in the Category A areas. The same principle as laid down above for GDMOs shall apply.

G. For Medical Officers of any category with spouse also working as Medical Officers

Both Officers shall be posted together so far as practicable. But they shall undergo the same place of transfer/ posting.
Medical Officers with spouse working in different capacities under the control of the Department may also be considered for such benefit of posting.
Medical Officers with spouses working elsewhere will be accorded last priority.

H. For Medical Officers returning from Trainee Reserve (TR)

Such Medical Officers on return from TR on successful completion of PG Degree/ Diploma will be posted as Specialist and posted in upper tier hospitals excluding Medical College-Hospitals as a fresh specialist subject to the condition that his or her last posting before TR shall be taken into consideration.

I. For Physically Challenged Medical Officers

Medical Officers who are physically challenged and duly certified by a recognized Medical Board shall get due consideration for posting at places convenient to them.

J. Transfer on Mutual Convenience

Application for mutual transfer between two Medical Officers shall be considered if such mutual transfer does not benefit a Medical Officer in getting posting at a place out of turn in contravention of the Policy as detailed above.

6. Same principles shall be applicable for the posting of Dental Surgeons. But their postings shall be restricted in the respective zone subject to the availability of Dental chair.

7. Execution of Transfer Policy

i) All Transfer Orders shall have a directive regarding movement, i.e., who has to move first. Release Orders shall have to issued within a period of two (2) weeks from the date of receipt of the order.
ii) Transfer Orders shall be issued generally once in a year, preferably in the month of December every year.
iii) However, the State Government may issue any Transfer Order on administrative grounds and to meet emergencies as and when need arises or for public interest.
iv) For posting of Medical Officers/ Dental Surgeons who are already in service their previous postings in compliance of the previous transfer policy shall be taken into consideration.

This order shall take immediate effect.
All concerned are being informed.

Sd/- Sanjoy Mitra
Principal Secretary