Authorities sack 100 doctors in Indian-controlled Kashmir for unauthorized absence

Authorities have ordered termination of at least 100 doctors from the region's health department for their unauthorized absence from the duty, a government spokesman said Saturday.

"The services of 100 doctors were terminated by government for they remained absent from their duties without any authorization for a longer period," an official of the health department said.

The terminated doctors are believed to be serving outside Indian- controlled Kashmir. Officials said until now these doctors continued to retain their jobs with the government in the region on false pretexts.

A senior health official Dr. M K Bhandari told a local newspaper that termination of these doctors would help government in enforcing discipline in the department besides paving way for recruitment of new doctors.

"We cannot let people suffer and wait endlessly for the doctors to come back," he said, adding "Everything has been done as per the rules."

The region's hospitals especially outside capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu are unstaffed and lack adequate healthcare facilities. Endit