The Uttarakhand Health Department has moved to terminate over 230 government-trained doctors for violating bond agreements that required them to serve in the state for five years or repay the subsidized cost of their medical education, officials said on Thursday.

Doctors from government medical colleges in Haldwani, Srinagar, and Dehradun had signed service bonds at the time of admission under MBBS and MD/MS programs, agreeing to serve in state-run healthcare facilities or compensate the government between ₹20 lakh and ₹30 lakh. However, many failed to fulfill either condition. Some took study leave and never returned, while others remained absent for over five years, a senior health official told reporters, adding that repeated notices were ignored, TOI reported.

The government has now initiated recovery proceedings. Among the defaulters are 95 students from Haldwani Medical College, 83 from Srinagar Medical College, and 56 from Doon Medical College.

Health and Medical Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said the breach reflects both administrative indiscipline and betrayal of public trust. “Health is a matter of public concern. It is necessary for doctors, officers, and personnel working in this department to understand their responsibilities and perform their duties in accordance with the rules,” he said. Rawat also confirmed that the names of the defaulters would be forwarded to the National Medical Commission for disciplinary action.

The shortage is especially acute in hill districts. Chamoli, Nainital, Tehri, and Pithoragarh are among the worst-hit, reporting dozens of doctor vacancies that have strained rural healthcare delivery. The Director General of Health has been ordered to proceed with formal dismissals, while the health secretary is seeking accountability from district CMOs for failure to report prolonged absences.

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