The Heartbeat of Healthcare: Haryana's Doctors Fight for Fairness in the Ranks

In the often-overlooked corridors of public health, a quiet storm is brewing, or perhaps, re-brewing. Haryana’s dedicated government doctors, the very backbone of the state’s medical services, are raising their voices once more. They’re pleading, honestly, with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to step in, to really intervene, and put a stop to what they see as a deeply unfair practice: the direct recruitment of Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC).

It’s a sticky situation, you could say. The Haryana Civil Medical Services Doctors’ Association (HCSDS) isn’t just making noise; they’re articulating a grievance that strikes at the heart of career progression and recognition within the medical fraternity. Their core argument? All those SMO posts — and right now, we’re talking about 126 of them that the HPSC has advertised — should be, without exception, filled through promotions. Specifically, from the existing pool of experienced Provincial Health Services (PHS) doctors. Why? Because these are general cadre posts, not specialist positions, and that distinction, they insist, truly matters.

Think about it: many of these PHS doctors have dedicated years, sometimes decades, to public service. They’ve toiled in rural clinics, handled administrative duties, and, quite often, pursued higher qualifications like MDs and MSs while on the job. Yet, here comes direct recruitment, bypassing their earned experience. And frankly, it’s not just about a title. It’s about the very ethos of service.

This isn't, mind you, the first time such a contention has surfaced. We saw a very similar protest back in 2017, a testament, perhaps, to the enduring nature of this particular fault line within the system. The association argues, quite passionately, that these directly recruited SMOs often — and this is a critical point — lack the essential administrative experience that the role inherently demands. This isn't just a minor detail; it can, and often does, lead to tangible issues in the day-to-day running of medical facilities.

The HCSDS doesn't pull any punches, either. They point to neighbouring states, places like Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, as models. In those regions, SMOs from the general cadre are typically, if not exclusively, brought in through promotion. Direct recruitment, if it happens at all, is usually reserved for highly specialized roles, which makes a certain kind of sense, doesn't it? But for the general cadre? That’s where the lines get blurry, and the frustration mounts.

To the doctors who have been climbing the ladder, one rung at a time, direct recruitment for SMOs feels like hitting a