Retirement age of government doctors to be raised to 65 years, announces PM Modi

Retirement age of government doctors will be raised to 65 years due to shortage of doctors, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday. He added that the Union Cabinet will give its nod to the decision this week.

In a rally to observe the second anniversary of his government, Modi said there is a need for more doctors across the country but it was not possible to fill the gap in two years of his government, reported The Times of India.

The decision will cover all government doctors under the umbrella whether serving under states or the Central dispensation.

"There is a shortage of doctors. In government hospitals, their retirement is 60 years in some states, 62 in some others. If adequate number of medical institutes were there, then we would have more doctors and would not feel the shortage. It is difficult to make doctors in two years but poor families cannot be forced to live without doctors. Therefore from Uttar Pradesh, I want to announce this to my countrymen that this week our government's Cabinet will take a decision and the retirement age of our doctors, whether in states or government of India, would be made 65 years instead of 60 or 62," he said.

He added that the step would allow doctors to serve patients and provide education for a longer period and that his government is also working quickly to have more medical colleges to have more doctors in the field.

Modi announced the decision after appealing to doctors to serve poor pregnant women for free on the ninth day of every month, as it will contribute to his government's efforts to deal with illness among the poor.