Nearly 700 government doctors in Patna have faced transfers during the end of June 2008, and many of them were quite unexpected. Some of the doctors had also mentioned preferred postings in their transfer requests, which appears to have been ignored. Nearly 42 doctors from the transferred lot are from medical colleges.

"We are getting 30 to 50 representations every day. The choices given by doctors were ignored," said Dr Ajay Kumar, convener, action committee, Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA).

Many of the doctors are taken aback by these transfers. Some of them attribute it to a computer error, a case of incorrect data producing incorrect results. Even the doctors who did not request for transfers have received transfer letters, strangely even mentioning their request.

Take the case of Dr Vishnu Kant Pandey, an assistant professor of surgery department and a specialist in laparoscopic surgery. Dr Pandey has received a transfer letter to move to Darbhanga Medical College, which does not support laparoscopic surgery. The proposed movement has also not take care of the requirements of PMCH, where the doctor is currently posted, which will have to function without a laparoscopic surgeon.

Some doctors have been moved out even before they completed five years while there were many who had completed even ten but continued to stay on without a transfer. These gross inconsistencies in the transfer policy have raised the ire of doctors.