To do away with 'favouritism' charges, Army Headquarters takes charge of doctors' postings

Amid complaints of favouritism in its medical branch, the powers of transfer and deployment of doctors in the Army have been given to the Army Headquarters.

"After the complaints were received from different quarters about favouritism in transfers and postings of doctors in the Army, it has now been decided that these matters would now be handled by the Adjutant General`s branch," Army sources told.

The sources said there were multiple complaints about posting of doctors where individuals have spent their entire careers in only metropolitan cities.

"There has been a complaint about a doctor couple who spent over 20 years of their career between Delhi and Pune together. It is because of such complaints that such a decision has been taken," the sources said.

The sources said it was also observed that in the Navy and the Air Force, transfers and postings of doctors are done by the respective services.

Doctors in the armed forces are part of the Army Medical Corps which is under the Defence Ministry.

Sources said the powers of posting and transfer were given temporarily to the Army Headquarters some time ago and recently the arrangement was formalised.

In the recent past, there was another case involving a senior officer of the Army Medical Corps against whom an enquiry was ordered for misuse of government funds.